Fowler has skinny lead in the desert
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Rickie Fowler birdied the last three holes to take the lead in the Waste Management Phoenix Open, overcoming a sluggish start in front of the largest crowd in golf history.
Justin Thomas went the other way, wasting a brilliant opening run with another late meltdown.
Fowler shot a 4-under-par 67 Saturday to reach 14-under 199 with a round left at TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course, the fan-friendly layout that was packed with an estimated 216,818 fans on an 80-degree afternoon.
“I really made some good swings coming in,” Fowler said. “I just wasn’t getting the ball close enough, and finally on the last few there I was able to get some good looks.”
The fourth-ranked Thomas, the 2017 PGA Tour player of the year after winning five times last season, birdied the first six holes to take the lead. But instead of making a run at his second sub60 round in a little more than a year, he had to fight for a 71 that left him eight shots back.
Thomas dropped six strokes in a three-hole stretch, making a bogey on the par-4 14th, a triple bogey on the par-5 15th and a double bogey on the rowdy par-3 16th. In the first round, he had a double bogey on 16 and a bogey on 17.
Thomas left the course without speaking to the media.
Former Arizona State players Jon Rahm (65) and Chez Reavie (67) were a stroke back along with Bryson DeChambeau (68). Two shots behind: Daniel Berger (68), Xander Schauffele (66) and Phil Mickelson (66), another former Sun Devils star riding the crowd support.
Former Baylor School standout Luke List (69) was tied for 21st at 7 under.
The third-round crowd pushed the week’s attendance total to 654,906, just short of the record of 655,434 set last year.
Axley’s advantage
In Panama City, Panama, Eric Axley shot a 5-under 65 and entered the final round of the Web.com Tour’s Panama Championship with a two-stroke lead.
The 43-year-old Athens, Tenn., native had a run of three consecutive birdies twice and seven birdies total in the third round at Panama Golf Club. He offset two bogeys on his way to the tournament’s low round, following up his opening 66 and second-round 71 to move to 8 under.
Edward Loar was second and Ryan Yip was another stroke back in third after each shot a 67.
Axley, who missed the cut in the first two Web.com events of the season last month in the Bahamas, is looking for his first victory on this tour since the Rex Hospital Open in May 2005. The following year, he earned the lone PGA Tour win of his career at the Valero Texas Open.
“I think the main thing is just to not get ahead of yourself and be patient,” Axley said in a story on pgatour.com. “I know it’s cliché and everyone probably says the same thing, but … you know, I’m in a position with the lead where if I go out and shoot a couple under par, someone has to play a really good round to come up and beat me, versus if you’re two or three back, you have to shoot the really low score.”
Close in Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Jorge Campillo and Dylan Frittelli shared the Maybank Championship lead at 15 under after each shot a 6-under 66 in the third round at Saujana Golf and Country Club.
They held a one-stroke lead over Berry Henson (65) and Khalin Joshi (65) in the tournament sanctioned by the Asian and European tours, with 14 other golfers within three strokes of the lead.
Lee Westwood couldn’t emulate his second-round 62 but did enough to stay in contention, shooting a 70 that had him tied for 10th. He made three birdies Saturday after sinking 11 Friday.
Westwood, who was a shot out of the lead after 36 holes, missed making up more ground on a day of low scoring. Six golfers, including Campillo, fired an eagle on the par-5 first hole. Ryan Fox had an albatross on the hole.