Indian Wells, CA -- (Sports Network) - K.J. Choi pocketed three skins and $75,000 on Saturday for the opening-nine lead at The Skins Game.

Phil Mickelson won a single skin and $25,000 after a spectacular eagle at the par-five fourth at the Celebrity Course at Indian Wells Golf Resort.

Two-time defending champion Stephen Ames and Rocco Mediate were shut out on Saturday.

The last five holes were halved on Saturday, leading to a huge payday on Sunday. The 10th hole will be worth six skins and $250,000.

"We're feeling it," said Mickelson. "We're feeling the pressure, if you will. We're enjoying it. This is a fun opportunity for us to make a little cash."

Choi was the first to cash in on Saturday. After he and Mickelson both missed makeable birdie tries at one and Choi answered a 15-foot birdie putt from Mediate with a seven-footer of his own at two, the third was worth $75,000.

Mickelson and Ames both went over the putting surface and Mediate hit his approach a little fat from a fairway bunker. Mediate had over 100 feet to the flag with his birdie effort, but Choi knocked his second to three feet.

Choi was in such great shape that his birdie putt was inside the other three's par tries. Choi converted the birdie to win three skins and $75.000.

Mickelson was next to get on the board.

At the par-five fourth, Mickelson hit a spectacular second shot inches short of the hole. He stepped up and tapped in his eagle putt, then waited for Ames. The two-time defending champion missed an eagle attempt and Mickelson was on the board with a skin and $25,000.

The next three holes were halved and only the par-three sixth featured anything close to pressure. Mickelson and Choi hit their tee balls in almost the exact same spot with Choi fractionally closer.

Mickelson sank his birdie try, then Choi rolled his on top of Mickelson's to carry over the skins.

At the eighth, Mickelson and Ames hit terrible tee shots, but both knocked their respective approaches inside three feet. Mediate, not to be outdone, pitched his second inside a foot and the hole was halved to make the ninth hole worth five skins and $200,000.

Ames and Mickelson both hit it close at the ninth, but Mediate converted a 20- footer for birdie to put the pressure on both. Ames safely holed his five- footer to set up a tough early hole on Sunday.

"I guess that's the format for The Skins Game," said Ames, who has used big Sundays en route to victory the last two years. "It's all about timing. All it takes is one hole."