Mickelson finding form at perfect time

Phil Mickelson's third round birdie binge that shot him to the top of the BMW Championship's leaderboard today offered another sign that his game is rounding back into form after a mid-season meltdown.

The timing could not be better.

With the lucrative Tour Championship set for Sept. 20-23 in Atlanta followed a week later by Ryder Cup duty against Europe, there is plenty on the line for Mickelson this month as he looks to end his season on the upswing.

After matching a career high with 10 birdies on the way to an eight-under 64 to share the lead with Vijay Singh going into Sunday's final round, Mickelson can certainly feel positive about the challenges ahead.

"I knew this week was going to be a good week," he told reporters. "I came out a little bit anxious the front nine on Thursday and didn't play well.

"I kind of settled in and started to make some putts, started to make some birdies but the game feels really good.

"It's finally back and I'm looking forward to being in the mix tomorrow but also the Tour Championship and the Ryder Cup, I'm just glad that it's back in time."