No golf fans followed On Thursday, Rickie Fowler wore the same outfit that he was wearing. That was a thing back in 2010, when Fowler, who was 22 at the time, rode his laid-back origins in dirt-biking and a boy band feel to tremendous success. He did this by dressing in an orange costume from head to toe and wearing a flat-brimmed hat.
Even the crowds were not as numerous as one may have expected. The spectators in the crowded grandstand cheered cordially when Fowler hit a birdie putt nine holes into his round, which had began on the 10th hole. This put him in a tie for the lead in the event, which was three under par. One of Rickie’s fans shouted, “Keep it going, Rickie.” However, the response was not even close to being on par with the rowdy, near-delirious state that the younger Fowler with the longer hair used to provoke.
Then, as he made his way towards the last nine holes of the round, the volume gradually started to increase. Fowler finished the round with an eight-under 62 thanks to five birdies and four pars throughout the last nine holes. It was the round with the lowest score in the annals of the United States Open. Not long later, Xander Schauffele would equal it.
Following what occurred, Fowler was seen smiling quietly to himself while hugging a bunch of friends and coworkers. This did not change the expression on his face. They had seen his recent run of bad luck on the golf course, which he referred to at one point as his “dark days,” and they liked how his demeanour remained the same throughout it all.
The outcome on Thursday was unexpected for Fowler, but it did not come as a complete surprise. He has been forecasting some kind of resurgence for the last several months. Fowler has fallen all the way down to position No. 173 in the global golf rankings after formerly holding the No. 4 spot in the globe. In 2014, he had a record of being in the top five of the standings at all four of the year’s major events. By 2022, he had only competed in a single tournament, the PGA Championship, when he ended tied for 23rd place.
People speculated that he may join the LIV Golf circuit in order to earn one more substantial payout while his name was still recognised for its significance. But Fowler persisted by hanging out with his PGA Tour buddies Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas, with whom he had previously gone on beach vacations. During tournaments, it was not uncommon to see him by himself late in the afternoon or evening, grinding on the range or practising his putting.
Following a string of good performances over the last month, Fowler rocketed back into the top 50 of the rankings, which enabled him to earn a spot in the P.G.A. Championship that took place the previous month. Fowler’s tone suggested that he had reached a turning point in his life.
In light of this, Fowler might have been excused for strolling around the grounds of the Los Angeles Country Club on Thursday with a massive smile that never left his face. He would have been pardoned. However, it’s fascinating to note that Fowler was mainly emotionless, except the odd smirk. When he made a putt for par from three feet out on his final hole, which was an uphill par three, he barely lifted his right hand to acknowledge the applause that were coming from a nearby grandstand. He had just won the tournament.
After the event, as he was being interviewed, Fowler kept his casual demeanour. He stated that during the most of his practise rounds at the L.A. Country Club, he was really rather uncomfortable with the course layout.
He made a birdie by hitting a long iron to 51 yards at the drivable par-4 sixth hole, spinning a wedge shot to within eight feet of the green, and then sinking the putt for the birdie. On the eighth hole, which is a par five, his shot ended up in the treacherous barranca to the right of the fairway. However, he was able to save himself by chipping back into the fairway.
In later revelations, he would demonstrate differently. When asked to describe his rise from being ranked 173rd in the world to shooting a round that established a record in the national championship, Fowler said, But having been through it and being in the position we are in today makes everything so much more worthwhile.
