Holmes leads wild FBR Open
The enormous crowd wasn't behind leader J.B. Holmes. But he wasn't alone.
"I don't think the crowd was behind anybody," Holmes said after taking a 2-shot lead at the FBR Open at Scottsdale, Ariz., on Saturday in front of a record 170,802 fans, most of them more interested in partying than golf.
"Especially on 16 and 17," he said. "Usually, if you miss the green they boo you. We were hitting the green and they were booing you. When the putt went in they cheered, but they're rough on you."
Holmes, who won the FBR as a rookie in 2006 but is winless since, shot a third-round 5-under 66 for a 14-under 199 total heading into today's final round with just over $1 million at stake for the winner.
Charles Warren, co-leader after the first round, shot a 67, bogeying the final hole, to match Jonathan Byrd at 12 under. Byrd had a 68.
Ben Crane and Nick O'Hern were 11 under, and two-time champion Phil Mickelson was in a group of six at 10 under.
The turnout, which featured gridlock in front of concession stands and along the path between the 18th and 16th holes at TPC Scottsdale, broke the single-day record of 168,337 set in 2006.
"The entire golf course had people everywhere," Mickelson said. "It's so special for this tournament, for the game of golf, to have something like this."
With one day to go, the tournament has drawn 466,551 fans. Turnout always falls considerably for the Sunday round, even when the Super Bowl is not just down the road, but the overall tournament attendance record of 536,767 is well within reach.
The turnout set records for Thursday (83,657) and Friday (120,891) as well.
"It's totally different than anything we experience," Warren said. "But even compared to yesterday you could tell that there were a lot more people out there."
The big-hitting Holmes won the FBR in just his fourth tournament as a rookie. He has shot 68-65-66 this year, giving him eight rounds in the 60s in nine played overall on the 7,216-yard course.
Holmes pulled away from a tie with Warren with birdies on the par-5 13th, par-4 14th and par-4 17th. Holmes opened his round with a bogey on No. 1, then reeled off birdies on holes three through six. Overall, he had 3 bogeys and 8 birdies.
Mickelson shot a 67 in the third round but bogeyed both par 3s on the back nine. The second came on the raucous 16th where more than 10,000 loud fans surround the layout, lustily cheering good shots and booing the bad ones just as fervently.
Women's Australian Open: Australia's Lindsey Wright shot her third straight 1-under 72 in slippery and windy conditions to take a 1-stroke lead over defending champion Karrie Webb and Shin Ji-yai in the Women's Australian Open at Melbourne.