Phil Mickelson survived a mediocre start to earn the clubhouse lead during the second round at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial.

Mickelson could not take advantage of relatively calm early morning conditions, posting one birdie and two bogeys in his first eight holes, but he clicked into gear with three straight birdies around the turn on his way to a two-under-par
68.

That gave him a seven-under 133 halfway total, one stroke ahead of Matt Kuchar (64) with half the field back in the clubhouse.

Stephen Ames, Vaughn Taylor, Kevin Sutherland and Brian Bateman were two strokes behind, while first round leader Johnson Wagner had a late tee time.

Mickelson discarded a three-wood in favour of a fifth wedge, and his short game was certainly sharp, as he got up and down to salvage par three holes in a row on his back nine.

Former US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy, meanwhile, shot 64 to move within three strokes of the lead.

He found his putting touch after struggling on the greens recently, making five consecutive birdies mid-round.