Fowler is warming up out west
Rickie Fowler came to The American Express for the first time in six years to prepare for the next two weeks at Torrey Pines and TPC Scottsdale.
He’s ahead of schedule after two days, shooting an 8-under 64 Friday at PGA West’s Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course for a share of the second-round lead with Scottie Scheffler (64).
In position to make the trip over the hill to San Diego and Torrey Pines with his sixth PGA Tour title and first since Phoenix a year ago, Fowler set up shop last week at the nearby Madison Club after tying for fifth at Kapalua in the Sentry Tournament of Champions.
“It was nice to get a little work in, get some good practice and play out here in the desert to get used to being back in the desert,” said Fowler, who grew up about an hour away in Murrieta. “It’s been very beneficial. I looked at that as something that was going to be the best opportunity for me to go into this West Coast swing to get the game where I want to and to play well.”
He opened with a 65 Thursday at La Quinta Country Club.
“These courses are scorable, but I feel like it’s a fine line between playing well out here and kind of scraping by,” Fowler said. “If you drive it well and hit good approach shots, you can make a lot of birdies, but if you’re a little off you’re kind of scrambling for par. I feel like I’ve done a good job of just kind of picking my way around the two golf courses so far.”
He played his final nine in 6-under 30, making a 6-foot eagle putt on the par-5 fourth, four birdies and two big par saves.
“It’s always nice when you don’t give shots back, especially in a tournament like this where typically the scores are going to be on the lower side,” Fowler said. “Bogey almost feels like you’re giving two shots back.”
At 15-under 129, he had the lowest 36hole score of his PGA Tour career.
Ace from Amateur
One-armed Canadian amateur Laurent Hurtubise made a hole in one playing alongside two PGA Tour pros in The American Express pro-am event. Born without a right hand, Hurtubise aced the 151-yard par-3 fourth hole Thursday at PGA West’s Stadium Course in the first round. The ball landed near the front of the green and rolled into the cup. Hurtubise was paired with professional Troy Merritt.
“The coolest experience I’ve had on the course,” Merritt told PGA Tour.com. Fellow tour player Greg Chalmers also was in the foursome.
Italian hot in desert
Italian Francesco Laporta earned a one-shot lead halfway through the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in United Arab Emirates after carding a 9-under 63, while top-ranked Brooks Koepka struggled. Laporta moved to 10 under after two rounds.
One shot behind were Matthew Fitzpatrick of England (67) and Rafa Cabrera Bello of Spain (68). Koepka shot a 3-over 75 to drop to 3 under and into a tie for 35th. It’s Koepka’s first tournament since October, when he aggravated a knee injury which caused him to miss the Presidents Cup.
‘O’ Henderson
Canada’s Brooke Henderson parlayed four birdies and a late eagle into the hottest round of the day and a share of the lead at the LPGA’s season-opening Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Henderson had a 5-under 66 to join Inbee Park of South Korea at 9-under 133 heading to the weekend at Four Seasons Golf and Sports Club Orlando.
Invite on line
Jose Vega of Colombia holed out for eagle on the third hole and remarkably kept bogeys off his card on a blustery day for a 6-under 65 and a three-shot lead at the Latin American Amateur in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Vega was at 3-under 139, the only player under par through two rounds at El Camaleon Golf Club at Mayakoba. Lukas Roessler (72) and Gabriel Morgan Birke (73), both from Chile, were at even-par 72 on the course that hosts the Mayakoba Classic on the PGA Tour. The winner earns an invitation to the Masters at Augusta National in April, and the British Open at Royal St. George’s in July. He also is exempt into the final stage of U.S. Open qualifying.