AKRON, Ohio — Phil Mickelson has won 35 times around the world, starting with a PGA Tour event when he was still in college. His collection includes three major championships, and he is solidly entrenched at No. 2 in the world rankings.

That must make him the best player to have never won a World Golf Championship.

Mickelson got a chuckle out of the playful suggestion after making a mid-round adjustment yesterday at the Bridgestone Invitational that led to three straight birdies and a 2-under 68, giving him a share of the lead with Vijay Singh and Lee Westwood.

It's not quite the same burden as "best to have never won a major," the label he shed in 2004 at the Masters. And the WGC events are not nearly as prestigious as the majors.

Even so, he has never had this good an opportunity to win one.

"They started midway through my career, so I haven't given them the priority like I do a major, or care about like a major," said Mickelson, who has skipped four of the WGCs held overseas. "But they are always the best fields in the game, they're always on great golf courses, they're always on tough tests. So I think there's a lot of merit to whoever wins those."

Tiger Woods has won 15 of them, including six at Firestone. The leaders through 54 holes have a combined 116 victories around the world, and all of them will be going for their first world title.

Singh missed two putts inside 3 1/2 feet, but he holed two birdies from 12 feet to keep pace with Mickelson and wound up with a 69. The big Fijian will be in the final group with Westwood, who was far more conventional. The 35-year-old from England missed only two fairways, and wound up with a 67.

They all were at 8-under 202 — three players from three parts of the world, giving this a truly global appeal.

WOMEN'S BRITISH OPEN

JAPAN'S FUDOH LEADS

Yuri Fudoh of Japan shot a 3-under 69 to hold a one-stroke lead yesterday after the third round of the Women's British Open at Sunningdale, England.

Fudoh, who qualified for the tournament by finishing in the top 15 of the championship a year ago at St. Andrew's, is at 13-under 203 at Sunningdale and in sight of her first major title.

Ji-Yai Shin of South Korea (70) is second after making a bogey at the 18th.

Fudoh was the leading money winner on the Japanese LPGA from 2000-05 and has won 45 tournaments in her home country. She said she has no plans to move to the LPGA Tour in the United States.

"I don't think I have enough power to play on the LPGA, like physical condition," she said.

U.S. SENIOR OPEN

ROMERO SHOOTS AHEAD

The Broadmoor's East Course in Colorado Spring, Colo., wasn't so unbearable yesterday.

Eduardo Romero of Argentina grabbed the 54-hole lead at the U.S. Senior Open with a 5-under-par 65, conquering not only a course but also a field that one day earlier was bedeviled by perilous pin placements and a curious black bear.

"Fantastic round. I played great today," said Romero, whose three-day total of 9-under 201 is two shots ahead of Fred Funk (69), who relinquished the lead with three bogeys on the back nine, and three ahead of John Cook (66).

Tom Kite (71) is in fourth, eight shots back and the only other golfer under par for the tournament.

"The course is playing great. The pins were a little easier than they were yesterday and the greens were a little softer," Funk said.