World number two Phil Mickelson missed the cut at the Houston Open when the weather-delayed second round was completed on Saturday, with Britain's Paul Casey among a group of five players tied for the lead. Mickelson followed his opening 77 with a four-over-par 76 in his warm-up event for next week's US Masters. Despite missing the cut by 10 strokes at Redstone Golf Club, the American was not too concerned about his game going into the first major of the year. “It was really good I played here because I made some mistakes during the first two rounds that you just can't do competitively,” left-hander Mickelson told reporters. “I drove two balls in the water off the tee ... stuff like that I needed to get out of my system here.” Triple champion Vijay Singh also missed the cut as Casey was joined atop the leaderboard by Australians Geoff Ogilvy (69) and John Senden (71) and Americans Colt Knost (70) and Tommy Armour III (70). Casey fired a 70 on Friday to take the clubhouse lead at eight-under 136 before play was suspended in fading light. Three share lead In California, former US Women's Open champion Cristie Kerr held a share of the lead midway through Saturday's third round of the Kraft Nabisco Championship. With virtually the entire field struggling on a Mission Hills Country Club layout running fast and firm, American Kerr was at even par for the day after 10 holes. The 31-year-old LPGA Tour veteran offset a birdie at the second with a bogey at the fourth to remain at five under overall, level with compatriots Christina Kim and Kristy McPherson. Kim and McPherson, playing in the final pairing, were one over for the round on a calm but hot day in the California desert. First-round leader Brittany Lincicome of the US was a further stroke back in a tie for fourth with Australian Lindsey Wright. Mexican world number one Lorena Ochoa, eight strokes off the pace overnight, birdied the last for a 72 and a two-over total of 218. It was another day to forget for American teenager Michelle Wie who carded a second successive 81. The 19-year-old Hawaiian, who struggled in the howling winds of Friday, drove out-of-bounds on the opening hole and hit only five fairways out of 14 to finish at 17
