SCOTTSDALE – Rickie Fowler finally won a tournament title that had eluded him, and it wasn’t all that much fun until the task was complete.

Fowler recovered from a back-side triple-bogey to win the Waste Management Phoenix Open on Sunday in the outskirts of Phoenix..

Fowler’s final-round 3-over-par 74 in the rain came with birdies on two of the final four holes after his lead disappeared at TPC Scottsdale.

“It wasn’t fun,” Fowler said. “Just having to dig deep and fight through. It wasn’t easy out there.”

Fowler finished at 17-under 267 to win by two shots over South Africa’s Branden Grace, whose final-round 69 wasn’t enough.

A year ago, Fowler couldn’t hold a lead in this tournament entering the final round. This time, he had a four-shot cushion, and he saw that vanish.

“It has been a long time coming to get the win here,” Fowler said. “It was big, especially being out front.”

Fowler pulled even with Grace thanks to a birdie on the par-5 No. 15. Another birdie on the par-4 No. 17 after Grace took a bogey on the 17th gave Fowler a two-shot edge. Grace hit into the water on No. 17, proving costly.

Fowler had been pumped up by then as he drove the green on the par-4 17th with a chance at an eagle putt.

But it wasn’t easy from there. Fowler’s tee shot on the 18th ended up buried in the tall grass strips located in a fairway sand trap. Two shots later, he had a short putt for par to clinch the title.

Fowler, 30, secured his fifth victory on the PGA Tour. It came despite the highest final-round score in the tournament’s history.

“A couple of bad swings, a couple of bad breaks,” Fowler said. “We kept moving forward.”

Fowler made triple at the par-4 11th when his approach rolled past the pin, over the green and into the water behind the green, which was deemed a penalty area. The ball rolled back into the water, costing him another stroke, before Fowler finally got up and down for a 7. He followed up with a bogey 4 on the par-3 No. 12.

Justin Thomas, who contended all week, had three birdies — including on each of the last two holes — during his final-round 72 and ended up third at 14 under.

Thomas figured Fowler was due.

“He would be the first to tell you he should have won more than he has,” Thomas said. “But it’s hard to win, there’s only one winner every week and he’s played plenty well enough and I’m sure it’s going to happen plenty of times.”

Fowler said he views this tournament as special and therefore it’s a coveted victory.

“This is definitely very high up on the list,” Fowler said, also listing Torrey Pines among his most notable. “I would say between here and there, those would be the two highest on the list, other than a major.”

Matt Kuchar, who joined Thomas and Fowler in the final group, shot 75 and faded to a tie for fourth at 12 under. He shared that with Bubba Watson (71) and Chez Reavie (68)

Fowler’s double bogey on No. 5 created the first notable movement on the leaderboard, softened some because Kuchar and Thomas both took bogeys on the hole.

Defending champion Gary Woodland closed with 72 for his worst round of the tournament and finished tied for seventh at 11 under.

–Field Level Media

SCOTTSDALE – Rickie Fowler likes noisy crowds, a fact that is assisting him in the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

Fowler takes a four-shot lead into Sunday’s final round in Scottsdale, Ariz.

“I love how loud it gets, how energetic people are,” Fowler said in regard to one of the rowdiest venues on the PGA Tour, TPC Scottsdale.

Fowler threatened to run away by shooting a 7-under-par 64 on Saturday in the third round.

Fowler is at 20-under 193 for the tournament, four shots in front of Matt Kuchar (65 on Saturday). Justin Thomas (3 under on Saturday) is in third place at 15 under after failing to keep pace with Fowler. Thomas was a first-round co-leader.

Thanks to birdies on four of his first six holes in the third round, Fowler matched his first-round score.

Fowler had just one bogey in the round, giving him the best score turned in by any of the 73 golfers who made the cut.

The 30-year-old Californian will be aiming for his fifth victory on the PGA Tour.

“When he’s playing like this at a course that he loves like this, he’s going to be tough to beat,” Thomas said.

This is the fourth year in a row that Fowler is in good shape in the Phoenix Open going to the final round. He also held the 54-hole lead last year but finished 11th.

Kuchar, who won last month’s Sony Open in Hawaii, notched birdies on each of the three par-5 holes. He carded a bogey-free round for his second consecutive round of 6 under par.

Thomas, who was a shot back entering the third round, was at 1 over for the day through 10 holes before rallying with four birdies the rest of the way.

Fowler and Thomas are sharing a house during this tournament, and they will be in the same grouping again on the final day of the event.

“You don’t want your friends to have bragging rights over you,” Fowler said. “Getting to play with your buddies, those are the people that you want to lose to the least.”

Still, Thomas said it’s ideal to be playing in the last group on the weekend.

South Africa’s Branden Grace (2 under Saturday) and South Korea’s Byeong Hun An (5 under) are at 13 under overall. An re-emerged among the strong contenders with birdies on three of the last four holes.

Grace notched a birdie on No. 7 a day after registering a hole-in-one there. He is 4 under on that hole for the tournament. Grace also notched an eagle Saturday at No. 13.

Defending champion Gary Woodland stayed on the leaderboard. He shot 5 under on Saturday to move to 12 under and into a tie for sixth place with Bubba Watson (3 under).

“The way I’m driving the golf ball, I think I have a really good chance,” Woodland said before knowing Fowler’s final number. “So if we get some putts to go in, it will be fun. “

Harold Varner III, who was a first-round co-leader, recovered with a round of 3 under after shooting even par on Friday. He is one of four golfers tied for eighth place at 10 under.

–Field Level Media