Phil Mickelson hits his tee shot on the seventh hole during the second round of the PGA Championship golf tournament on the Ocean Course Friday, May 21, 2021, in Kiawah Island, S.C.
Padraig Harrington, of Ireland, celebrates a birdie along with Phil Mickelson, left, on the sixth hole during the second round of the PGA Championship golf tournament on the Ocean Course Friday, May 21, 2021, in Kiawah Island, S.C.
Phil Mickelson hits his tee shot on the 15th hole during the second round of the PGA Championship golf tournament on the Ocean Course Friday, May 21, 2021, in Kiawah Island, S.C.
Louis Oosthuizen, of South Africa, tosses his club after a poor shot on the 18th hole during the second round of the PGA Championship golf tournament on the Ocean Course Friday, May 21, 2021, in Kiawah Island, S.C.
Louis Oosthuizen, of South Africa, hits out of the bunker on the 17th hole during the second round of the PGA Championship golf tournament on the Ocean Course Friday, May 21, 2021, in Kiawah Island, S.C.
Brooks Koepka watches his shot on the 15th hole during the second round of the PGA Championship golf tournament on the Ocean Course Friday, May 21, 2021, in Kiawah Island, S.C.
Brooks Koepka reads his birdie putt on the 13th hole during the second round of the PGA Championship golf tournament on the Ocean Course Friday, May 21, 2021, in Kiawah Island, S.C.
Branden Grace, of South Africa, lines up a putt on the third hole during the second round of the PGA Championship golf tournament on the Ocean Course Friday, May 21, 2021, in Kiawah Island, S.C.
Christian Bezuidenhout, of South Africa, sizes up the breeze on the 15th hole during the second round of the PGA Championship golf tournament on the Ocean Course Friday, May 21, 2021, in Kiawah Island, S.C.
Hideki Matsuyama, of Japan, chips to the 18th hole during the second round of the PGA Championship golf tournament on the Ocean Course Friday, May 21, 2021, in Kiawah Island, S.C.
Hideki Matsuyama, center, of Japan, center, walks with his caddie as Bryson DeChambeau, second from left, and Collin Morikawa, left, lead the way to the 17th hole during the second round of the PGA Championship golf tournament on the Ocean Course Friday, May 21, 2021, in Kiawah Island, S.C.
Hideki Matsuyama, of Japan, hits out of the bunker on the 15th hole during the second round of the PGA Championship golf tournament on the Ocean Course Friday, May 21, 2021, in Kiawah Island, S.C.
KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — Phil Mickelson doesn’t need to be reminded of his age at the PGA Championship. The numbers alone speak for that, and not just his age of 50.
Buffeted by the wind along the closing holes, Mickelson was dropping shots — not unusual on the brute of an Ocean Course at Kiawah Island — and was back to even par for the championship.
And then the guy who keeps everyone in suspense ran off five birdies and finished the day with a 3-under 69 to share the lead with Louis Oosthuizen, much steadier in his round of 68.
Even at the halfway point, Mickelson joined some elite company.
He became the sixth player since 1900 to have at least a share of the lead after any round in a major over four decades. The first time for Lefty was at the 1996 PGA Championship.
“I’m having a lot of fun, and to know I’m playing well heading into the weekend, to be in contention, to have a good opportunity, I’m having a blast,” Mickelson said.
The other five players were Sam Snead (starting in the 1930s), Gary Player (1950s), Jack Nicklaus and Raymond Floyd (1960s) and Tom Watson (1970s).
No one in his 50s has been atop the leaderboard in a major since 52-year-old Fred Couples after two rounds of the 2012 Masters. The most famous senior was Watson, who was 59 when he led after 54 holes at Turnberry in the 2009 British Open.
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