SCOTTSDALE, Arizona (AP) ― Phil Mickelson drew the loudest roars from the biggest crowd in golf history Saturday at the Phoenix Open.

Mickelson nearly aced the par-3 16th, hitting a 9-iron to a foot to set up a birdie on the rowdy stadium hole packed with nearly 20,000 screaming fans.

Estimated at 179,022, the third-round crowd broke the record of 173,210 set last year, also on a Saturday at fan-friendly TPC Scottsdale. The event has drawn 467,030 for the week and is in position to break the mark of 538,356 set in 2008.

Mickelson birdied the final four holes and five of the last six for a 7-under 64 and a six-stroke lead over Brandt Snedeker.

The 42-year-old former Arizona State star has led after each round, opening with a 60 and shooting a 65 on Friday. He fell a stroke short of the tour record for the first 54 holes, and matched the tournament mark set by Mark Calcavecchia in 2001.

Making his 24th appearance in the event that he won in 1996 and 2005, Mickelson is trying to complete his third career wire-to-wire victory and first since the 2006 BellSouth Classic ― a 13-stroke blowout the week before the second of his three Masters victories.

He also is in position to match the tournament record of three victories set by Arnold Palmer and matched by Gene Littler and Calcavecchia. Mickelson won the last of his 40 PGA Tour titles 51 weeks ago at Pebble Beach.

The left-hander played the first 12 holes in 2 under, making a 20-foot birdie putt on the par-4 first and a 25-footer on the par-4 fifth. He got up and down from greenside bunkers for birdies on the par-5 13th and 15th holes, followed with the tap-in on 16, then chipped to 2 feet on the 337-yard 17th.

A day after making a double-bogey 6 on the 18th when he hit a 3-wood drive into the water on the left, Mickelson blasted driver over the water and into the grandstand. He got a free drop, hit to 15 feet and holed the putt to another round of loud cheers.

Snedeker had a 65 to reach 18 under.

Gallacher in control in Dubai

DUBAI (AP) ― Stephen Gallacher of Scotland shot a 10-under 62 on Saturday to take a three-shot lead at the Dubai Desert Classic and break a three-round scoring record set by Tiger Woods 12 years ago.

The 111th-ranked Gallacher, who just missed out on a playoff last year in Dubai, is looking for his first European Tour win since 2004. He holed a 25-yard bunker shot on the 18th for an eagle to finish with a 21-under 195 in rare rainy conditions in the desert. That improved on Woods’ tournament mark by a shot and just missed tying the course record of 61 set in 1994 by Ernie Els.

“It’s the best round I’ve had,” Gallacher said. “I was just trying to make as many birdies as I could.”

Overnight leader Richard Sterne (66), who also shot 62 in the opening round Thursday, tried to keep pace. He made long birdie putts on the eighth and 11th holes and a 45-footer from the fringe on No. 15. Thorbjorn Olesen (67) finished five shots back in third place, producing two bogeys on the back nine ― his first of the tournament.

Lee Westwood had a 66 to move into sole possession of ninth. Like his horse Rerouted that came from behind Thursday to win its race in Dubai on Thursday, the Englishman said he felt an outside chance of catching the leaders. He finished second last year.

Sergio Garcia struggled at times with a nagging shoulder injury, shooting 71 to fall into a tie for 19th.

Gallacher moved into a share of the lead after two early birdies and then went alone atop the leaderboard with a birdie on No. 5. With Sterne, Olesen and England’s Tommy Fleetwood (69) close behind, Gallacher made his move on the back nine with two birdies in the first three holes. He shot an eagle on the 13th after his 173-yard approach shot hit the pin and stopped 2 feet from the hole for the easy putt.