Major goal: Rickie Fowler falls short but leaves with nothing but positive feelings.
Fan favorite finishes in top 5 again
TOWN OF ERIN - With the way the leader board stacked up heading into Sunday’s final round at the U.S. Open, it was clear that a seventh straight firsttime major champion was probably in the cards.
It was also clear that Rickie Fowler, a charming, neon-clad 28-year-old from California, was a fan favorite. His supporters of all ages came out to Erin Hills in large numbers with many dressed in Fowler’s signature loud attire.
Fowler had rocketed out to a hot start on Thursday with a 65 to tie the U.S. Open record for the best first-round score in relation to par. He came back to Earth on Friday and Saturday, but still went into Sunday just two shots off the lead.
Those stalwarts never wavered in shouting their praise for the seven-year Tour veteran out of Oklahoma State, but as the afternoon grew into evening, the masses began to lag behind him. Threeputt bogeys on holes 12 and 15 dropped Fowler — the ninth-ranked player in the world and considered one of the best without a major — out of contention as Brooks Koepka, playing in the group behind Fowler, tore up the course with a 5under 67 to win the tournament at a whopping 16-under.
“It was a tough day out there,” said Fowler, who shot even par Sunday and tied for fifth with Xander Schauffele and Bill Haas at 10-under.
“Wind was affecting putts quite a bit and it was tough to get things going. ... Obviously, Brooks played a hell of a round out there this afternoon.”
Fowler got off to a strong start with a birdie on the first hole. He almost followed it up with another, but the wind had other plans.
“I missed a short one on the second, which the putt was supposed to break left towards the back of the green, and we have wind coming from the back of the green,” he said. “So it just kind of pushed it right outside the hole, and it never moved. So getting kind of the right gust at the right time was kind of key.”
A bogey on the fifth hole and a birdie on No. 7 had Fowler still squarely in contention, but like his ball on No. 2 he never moved. With the wind blowing and his putts not falling, Fowler’s third birdie of the day didn’t come until 18 when Koepka had already all-but-clinched the championship.
As difficult as it was to fall short, Fowler claimed afterward that he didn’t take any negatives from his round or his week. He followed his game plan and did what he wanted to do. After missing two straight U.S. Open cuts he shot a 10-under, which is nothing to scoff at.
“I feel like golf-wise I’m playing at the highest level,” Fowler said. “If you look at the negatives too much, I mean, you’re going to be stuck doing that the whole time.
“You have to measure success in different ways, not just by winning, just because that doesn’t happen a whole lot. You kind of have to say, hey, it’s a major. We played well this week.”
Koepka’s first major title meant Fowler’s streak extended to 30 majors without a victory. And yet again, he was very much in the hunt.
Including 2014, when he finished in the top 5 in all four majors, Fowler has now been in the top 5 six times in majors and in the top 10 seven times.
Thus, Fowler still carries the mantle of one of the best active golfers without a major. Next month he’ll try to become the eighth straight new major winner at the British Open, but for now he’s happy about what the seven before him say concerning the state of the game.
“I think it’s a great thing,” Fowler said. “You saw the leader board this weekend going into today, and still with a lot of the guys that were on that board today at the end, it’s a lot of new blood, young guys. Kind of some of the younger crew is coming in. I’m not saying the older guys are out by any means, but I think we’re making our presence a little bit more known.”