Fowler honors youngster, enjoys hot start
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – With a heavy heart, Rickie Fowler stepped to the 10th tee in Thursday’s first round of the PGA Tour Waste Management Phoenix Open.
For the first time in years, his little buddy, Griffin Connell, was not in the gallery cheering Fowler’s every move. Connell, born with a rare airway disorder, died Jan. 23 in Phoenix. He was 7.
Fowler is honoring the youngster this week by wearing a pin that shows a picture of Connell, who braved numerous surgeries yet was an inspiration with his unwavering spirit and zest for life that led him to love sports, video games, movies and family. The two, who met in 2013, regularly exchanged emails and text messages.
“He was just a huge fan of the game,” Fowler said. “I claim him as being my No. 1 fan, so he had a special place with me and Joe (Skovron, Fowler’s caddie). We looked forward to seeing him and the family every week out here at the tournament every year. So it’s unfortunate that we don’t have him here this week because he was fun to see. ...
“Even if I hit a bad shot out there the past years, you would look over and see him — he was just pumped and excited to be out there watching us. He could care less if I played well or bad, he was always supporting us. Obviously he wanted to see me play well. (He) just kind of humbles you, grounds you a bit, and makes you realize that there’s a lot bigger things than just playing golf.”
Connell would have loved Fowler’s round Thursday. After starting on the
10th hole with five pars, Fowler got into red numbers when he rifled a 232-yard
5-wood to 2 feet for eagle on the 15th. After a bogey on the stadium-enclosed
16th hole — which led to thunderous boos — Fowler closed his first nine with birdies on the final two holes. He added birdies on the fourth and eighth holes and signed for a 5-under-par 66 at TPC Scottsdale. He is in a five-way tie for second, two shots behind leader Bill Haas.
It was a welcomed turn for Fowler, who missed the cut last week in the Farmers Insurance Open.
“Just a solid day. I think some good and bad all around,” said Fowler, ranked No. 7 in the world. “Managed the mistakes properly, made some good putts, so just nice to get off to a good start here. Looking forward to getting kind of back in the mix after not being around for the weekend last week.
“Obviously you can’t win it the first couple days, but you can obviously take yourself out of it.”
Fowler has been in the mix here three times in eight starts. He finished second in 2010, his first start in the event, lost in a playoff to Hideki Matsuyama in 2016 and finished in a tie for fourth last year.
“After the first couple years here I just figured it was a matter of time before I was the last one standing on Sunday,” Fowler said. “We have given ourselves some pretty good chances. It’s just a matter of time. I know I can win here, and sometimes you just got to be in the right place at the right time.”