Largest crowd ever for golf

Rickie Fowler birdied the last three holes in front of the largest crowd in golf history Saturday to take the lead in the Phoenix Open.

Fowler shot a 4-underpar 67 to reach 14 under with a round left at TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course, the layout packed with an estimated 216,818 fans on an 80-degree afternoon. The crowd pushed the week total to 654,906, just short of the record of 655,434 set last year.

Former Arizona State players Jon Rahm and Chez Reavie were a stroke back along with Bryson DeChambeau. Phil Mickelson was two shots behind.

Justin Thomas birdied the first six holes, then had to fight to shoot even par after a back-nine meltdown. He had a bogey-triple bogey-double bogey stretch that left him eight strokes back.

Lee Westwood followed his second-round 62 with a 70 at the Maybank Championship in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to trail the leaders by three strokes. Jorge Campillo of Spain and Dylan Frittelli of South Africa are the joint leaders after both shot 66s for 15 under overall at the European Tour event.

Minjee Lee shot a 6under 67 for a five-stroke victory over Karis Davidson in the Vic Open, the first tournament of the year on the Ladies European Tour. Lee finished at 13-under 279. Cheyenne Woods, niece of Tiger Woods, shot a 70 and finished eight strokes behind in eighth place.