The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Fowler rolls to lead with 3-birdie flurry
Arizona State trio ignites record golf crowd of 216,818.
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 67 on Saturday to reach 14-under 199 with a round left at TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course, the fan-friendly layout 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.”
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.”
The crowd pushed the week total to 654,906, just short of the record of 655,434 set last year.
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 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. He 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 Thursday’s first round, he had a double bogey on 16 and a bogey on 17.
Rahm had a 65, playing alongside Mickelson and Xander Schauffele for the third straight day. The 23-yearold Spaniard had five birdies in a seven-hole stretch on the back nine. He won two weeks ago in the California desert at La Quinta to jump to No. 2 in the world.
Reavie birdied the final two holes for a 67. DeChambeau shot 68. He lost the lead with a bogey on 17 after driving into the water.
Mickelson birdied the final two holes for a 66.
European Tour: Lee Westwood couldn’t emulate his second-round 62 but did enough to stay in contention at the Maybank Championship in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, after shooting a 70 to trail the leaders by three strokes.
Jorge Campillo of Spain and Dylan Frittelli of South Africa are the joint leaders after both shot 66 for 15 under overall. Henrik Stenson (73) trails the leaders by 11 shots.