CROMWELL, Conn. — Rickie Fowler has not had a strong season, failing to contend in each occasion he has performed, coming wanting even recording a top-10 end.
But, he found one thing on the greens on Thursday, which explains why he posted a 6-under 64 to open the Vacationers Championship. He didn’t make a single bogey, both, as he shares the early lead with Akshay Bhatia and Kurt Kitayama.
“I made a pleasant putt simply to save lots of par and get the spherical going. Good up-and-down, that sort of obtained me going,” Fowler defined.
“Generally, I’d virtually fairly that than birdie the primary gap as a result of then it’s sort of downhill from there. So, yeah, obtained off to a pleasant begin. Birdied the 2nd. Began to see some balls go in, and making putts helps unencumber the remainder of the sport to the place you don’t really feel like you need to be excellent.”
Fowler missed his opening tee shot to the fitting, which nestled down within the tough. He then hacked it out, discovering extra thick stuff 44 yards wanting the outlet. An early dropped shot loomed, however Fowler went on to save lots of his par from eight ft away. He additionally referred to as that his greatest shot of the day.
However a big-time par save like that early in a spherical serves as a giant enhance of momentum, and Fowler fed off that. He solely wanted an unimaginable 23 putts to get round on Thursday, rating 1st among the many 71 gamers on this subject in strokes gained placing. He even made a 38-footer for birdie on the par-4 seventeenth, capping his greatest day of the season on the greens.
But, his placing prowess on Thursday is a far cry from what he has finished this season.
Fowler ranks 131st on the PGA Tour in strokes gained placing and 163rd in strokes gained general. No surprise why he has but to file a high 10 this season, together with his greatest end being a T-18 at Harbour City. He additionally arrived in Connecticut recent off missed cuts on the Memorial and the U.S. Open, the previous of which he carded an 82 throughout his second spherical.
“I really feel like a variety of it may possibly return to not placing effectively—placing effectively helps unencumber different issues,” Fowler defined.
“You’re not seeing putts go in, and it provides some further stress to having to hit greens or hit it nearer, chip it shut; that circle will get fairly a bit larger when you see some go in. That’s a giant half. However whenever you’re not in a position to benefit from it whenever you hit it effectively, placing might be the best factor to level to. It does assist quite a bit, however that’s not at all times the one factor.”
Fowler made 123 ft of putts on Thursday, which definitely freed him up. However now the query is, can he proceed to depend on his sizzling putter? And, what if he didn’t stand up and down on the 1st? How would this spherical have performed out? At any fee, we must wait to seek out out. However for now, Fowler finds himself atop the leaderboard for the primary time all season, a welcome sight for a lot of.
Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Enjoying Via. Be sure you take a look at @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You may comply with him on Twitter @jack_milko as effectively.
