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The American left-hander, despite missing seven of 14 fairways and hitting a spectator with an errant tee shot at the 15th, ground out a three-under-par 69 in the weather-delayed second round.
Mickelson recorded six birdies, one bogey and a double-bogey at the 18th, his ninth hole, to lie six strokes off the clubhouse lead at two-under 142.
"I grinded pretty hard ... and you just never know what can happen in a major," the world number two told reporters after covering his last nine holes in three-under 33.
"I shot 10 under on the weekend at Augusta and was able to leapfrog everybody and was quite a ways back at some points."
Mickelson closed with successive 67s at Augusta National in April to win his third Green Jacket at the US Masters, and his fourth major title.
"I just want to be in a position where if I play like I know I can, I can make up some ground," Mickelson said of the task facing him after 36 holes at Whistling Straits. "And I feel like I'm within striking distance."
Dubbed "Phil the Thrill" early in his career because of his swashbuckling approach to the game, the Californian was delighted with his patient strategy in challenging, windy conditions on Friday.
"This is a penalising golf course to not play from the fairway and I certainly explored a lot of areas here," said Mickelson who handed a signed glove to a spectator who was struck by a tee shot that sailed right at the par-four 15th.
"First 27 holes for me to keep it around par was a feat and I drove it better the last nine holes. It required a lot of patience to not force the issue today."
Mickelson, who has the opportunity to replace Tiger Woods as world number one for a ninth successive tournament, said his wayward driving had forced him to play more patiently.
"I had to be patient and try to just keep myself in position to where I could maybe make up the ground over the next two rounds," added the American who clinched the 2005 PGA Championship at Baltusrol.
Mickelson needs to finish no worse than joint fourth at Whistling Straits to have the chance to top the rankings for the first time.
Scores on Friday during the darkness-halted second round of the 92nd PGA Championship at the par-72, 7,507-yard Whistling Straits course (78 of 156 players have not finished):
136 - Matt Kuchar (USA) 67-69
137 - Nick Watney (USA) 69-68
139 - Bryce Molder (USA) 72-67, Noh Seung-yul (KOR) 68-71, Jason Dufner (USA) 73-66, Dustin Johnson (USA) 71-68, Rory McIlroy (NIR) 71-68, Zach Johnson (USA) 69-70, Simon Khan (GBR) 69-70
140 - Chad Campbell (USA) 70-70
141 - Carl Pettersson (SWE) 71-70
142 - D.A. Points (USA) 70-72, Shaun Micheel (USA) 73-69, Ernie Els (RSA) 68-74, Phil Mickelson (USA) 73-69, Peter Hanson (SWE) 71-71, Robert Karlsson (SWE) 71-71, Simon Dyson (GBR) 71-71
143 - Liang Wen-chong (CHN) 72-71, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (ESP) 70-73, Tim Clark (RSA) 72-71
144 - Darren Clarke (NIR) 74-70, Tom Lehman (USA) 74-69, Steve Stricker (USA) 72-72
145 - Fredrik Andersson (SWE) 74-71, Heath Slocum (USA) 73-72, Brandt Snedeker (USA) 75-70, Jeff Overton (USA) 74-71, Adam Scott (AUS) 72-73, Kevin Na (USA) 74-71, Hunter Mahan (USA) 74-71, Ross McGowan (GBR) 73-72
146 - Boo Weekley (USA) 76-70, Tim Thelen (USA) 71-75, Chris Wood (GBR) 78-68, Kenny Perry (USA) 73-73, Louis Oosthuizen (RSA) 71-75, Yuta Ikeda (JPN) 71-75, Kevin Stadler (USA) 74-72
147 - John Senden (AUS) 77-70, Troy Pare (USA) 73-74, Anders Hansen (DEN) 76-71, Rory Sabbatini (RSA) 76-71, Lucas Glover (USA) 74-73, Graeme McDowell (NIR) 76-71, Bill Haas (USA) 73-74, Scott Verplank (USA) 74-73
148 - Miguel Angel Jimenez (ESP) 75-73, Mike Weir (CAN) 74-74, Justin Rose (GBR) 74-74, Ben Curtis (USA) 73-75, Stephen Ames (CAN) 71-77, Jimmy Walker (USA) 71-77, Mitch Lowe (USA) 71-77
149 - Jason Bohn (USA) 77-72, Kevin Sutherland (USA) 74-75, Charlie Wi (KOR) 74-75, Angel Cabrera (ARG) 72-77
150 - Soren Hansen (DEN) 77-73, Shane Lowry (IRL) 71-79, Sean O'Hair (USA) 75-75, Trevor Immelman (RSA) 74-76, Bill Lunde (USA) 76-74
151 - Oliver Wilson (GBR) 76-75
152 - Koumei Oda (JPN) 78-74, Ross Fisher (GBR) 78-74, Danny Balin (USA) 75-77, Stu Ingraham (USA) 77-75
153 - Mike Small (USA) 78-74, Paul Goydos (USA) 80-73, Kris Blanks (USA) 73-80
154 - Cameron Beckman (USA) 79-75
155 - David Hutsell (USA) 75-80, Henrik Stenson (SWE) 80-75
156 - Robert McClellan (USA) 75-81, Bruce Smith (USA) 81-75
158 - Chip Sullivan (USA) 83-75
162 - Colin Montgomerie (GBR) 79-83
