Rickie Fowler has been missing-in-action for about the past 18 months until today. I wonder if it has been because he got married. Oops! Nothing worse can stir up a new bride’s anger on the PGA Tour than that one.
Fowler last won on the PGA Tour here close to where I live, at the Waste Management Phoenix Open in 2019. Regarded at the time as a budding superstar, the popular and colorful dresser sank down to his present position in World Ranking at #128.
Today, after three rounds in the CJ Cup at Summit in Las Vegas, Nevada, Fowler leads by two strokes over four-time major champion Rory McIlroy. He shot ten-under par 62 to today to Fowler’s 63. Fowler looks in command of his game as he barely missed birdie tries on his last two holes that could have given him a 61. A cadre of hot shots are lurking right behind. The players are shooting birdies as if it’s the opening day of dove hunting season in the desert, with the average score for the tournament so far being about 68.5.
Three players are three strokes back: Abraham Ancer, Robert Streb, and Adam Scott. Scott’s game looked really good today, as it usually does with that great and powerful swing that he has. I don’t think anyone on Tour that has a full backswing like he does swings the club in the plane as good as him. Kieth Mitchell fell back after starting today with a five-stroke lead, finishes with a 73 to be four stroke from the lead.
Tomorrow looks like quite a shootout, so crowd favorite Rickie will have his work cut out for him to take home all the marbles and climb back up near the top of ladder where he should be sitting pretty as he used to be.
(Incidentally, Rickie Fowler is a regular member of the now 56-year old PGA Tour Bible Study that is still going strong and Yours Truly co-founded and led. Truly I tell you, I hate to admit to that number!)
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