SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Danny Lee grabbed the lead Saturday in the Phoenix Open in front of the largest crowd in golf history.
With an estimated 201,003 fans packing TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course, Lee shot a 4-under-par 67 to move three strokes ahead of friend Rickie Fowler and Hideki Matsuyama.
“Two-hundred thousand?” Lee asked. “Wow!”
The previous largest crowd at the Stadium Course was 189,722 in 2014. The tournament also set a day record Friday at 160,415 and has drawn 535,035 overall. The weekly mark of 564,368 was set last year.
“I’m just trying to enjoy myself, and I am,” Lee said. “It’s so much fun out there, so many people just cheering for Rickie instead of me, unfortunately. But I’m having fun.”
Lee had six birdies and two bogeys to reach 13-under 200. The 25-year-old South Korean-born New Zealander won the Greenbrier Classic last year for his first PGA Tour title.
“Winning at the Greenbrier Classic gave me a lot of confidence,” Lee said. “It kind of taught me how to be on the top and what I need to work on and what it takes to win a golf tournament.”
He’s making his fourth appearance in the event after missing the cuts the last three years.
“I always struggled with my tee-shot game out here,” Lee said. “This week, I have been driving it really nicely.”
Fowler parred the final five holes for a 70. Matsuyama had a 68.
“I just didn’t get much out of the round,” said Fowler, at No. 4 the top-ranked player in the field. “Just kind of managed it well and played with what I had to get around.”
Second-round leader James Hahn had a 74 to fall into a tie for seventh at 7-under.
Results 11C
