Slick Rickie
Fowler thrives late at Deutsche
NORTON, Mass. — Rickie Fowler delivered all the right shots Monday at the Deutsche Bank Championship, and then he delivered some champagne.
He stood near the wood railing overlooking a dozen rows of reporters, hoisting an empty bottle in one hand and a microphone in the other.
“Let’s finish off the year right,” Fowler said.
He certainly showed he is capable after a tense duel with Henrik Stenson at the TPC Boston.
Trailing by three shots early on the back nine, Fowler rolled in a 40foot putt on the 14th hole to pull within one and then seized control when Stenson hit a towering tee shot that came down short and into the water for double bogey on the par3 16th.
That combination sent Fowler to another big win. He closed with a 3under 68 for a oneshot victory that assured him of a spot in the top five at the Tour Championship and a clear shot at the $10 million bonus in the FedExCup.
Fowler won The Players Championship in a threehole playoff in May. He won the Scottish Open with three birdies on the last four holes.
“Being in those positions before, I definitely felt very calm out there,” he said. “I knew what I was trying to do. Knew what I had to do. And was very much ready to do it.”
Fowler moved to No. 5 in the world, not quite part of the “Big Three” this year of Jordan Spieth, Rory McIl roy and Jason Day, but perhaps on the cusp of it.
“They’ve clearly played the best out of anyone over the past few months to couple of years,” Fowler said. “So I’m trying to be a small fourth thrown in there. But there’s a lot of other really good young players playing well right now, as well.”
Stenson was a runnerup in a FedExCup playoff event for the second straight week, and this one figures to sting.
He holed a 15foot birdie putt on No. 10 for a threeshot lead. And when Fowler hit a bold 5wood to 10 feet for birdie on No. 11 for a twoshot swing, the Swede answered with a 35foot birdie on the 12th to restore the cushion to two shots.
It all changed quickly and dramatically on the par3 16th.
“I obviously pulled the wrong club on 16 and was trying to get the most out of a 7iron into the wind and ballooned that one a little bit and that was the crucial mistake. Making double there was really a killer,” Stenson said.
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