Fowler surges into the lead before huge Phoenix crowd
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 four-under 67 on Saturday to reach 14under 199 with a round left at TPC Scottsdale's Stadium Course, the fan-friendly layout packed with an estimated 216,818 fans on an 80degree 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 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 sub-60 round in a little over a year, Thomas had to fight for an even-par 71 that left him eight shots back after he dropped six strokes in a three-hole stretch, including a triple-bogey on the par-five 15th hole.
Former Arizona State players Jon Rahm and Chez Reavie were a stroke back along with Bryson DeChambeau. Phil Mickelson was two shots behind, another former Sun Devils star riding the crowd support.
“It means a lot to me,” Mickelson said. “It's very helpful and very important to my success. I think it's been a big instrument in allowing me to get into the round and play and have fun and get out of the technical side.”
Fowler is trying to finally win in the desert. He finished a shot behind Hunter Mahan in 2010, lost to Hideki Matsuyama on the fourth extra hole in 2016, and tied for fourth last year.
“It's just a matter of time,” Fowler said. “It would just be nice if it was sooner rather than later.”
The four-time tour winner began his birdie run with a 17-footer on 16 and connected from nine feet on the par-four 17th and 18th holes. He also birdied 13 after playing the first 12 in even par with a birdie and a bogey.
Rahm had a 65, playing alongside Mickelson and Xander Schauffele for the third day in a row. The 23year-old Spaniard had five birdies in a seven-hole stretch on the back nine. He won two weeks ago at La Quinta to jump to No. 2 in the world.
Elsewhere
Lee Westwood couldn't emulate his second-round 62 but did enough to stay in contention at the Maybank Championship after shooting a 70 to trail the leaders by three strokes at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 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. ... Australian Minjee Lee shot a six-under 67 for a fivestroke victory in the Vic Open at Barwon Heads, Australia,, the first tournament of the year on the Ladies European Tour. Lee finished with a four-round total of 13-under 279 on the 13th Beach Golf Links, one better than Karis Davidson, who closed with a 71.