Fowler playing tough
During Thursday’s press conference at Kapalua for the PGA Tour’s season-opening Hyundai Tournament of Champions, Rickie Fowler didn’t waste any time revealing a minor detail about his health last year. Starting around the 2012 U.S. Open, Fowler’s lower back started to bother him. Turned out his SI joints, along with his L-4 and L-5 (low back and hips), were inflamed.
“They were pissed off at me,” said the 24-year-old golfer with a smile.
McIlroy lost out to D'Artagnan Rickie Fowler at Quail Hollow.
Though reinstalled at the summit of the world rankings, Rory McIlroy arrives at Ponte Vedra Beach for this week’s Players Championship with his reputation arguably at its lowest ebb for several months. (continue reading…)
Rory congratulates Rickie
Rory McIlroy made a late bogey on No. 17, missing a 5-footer for par, along with a 15-footer for birdie on No. 18, to join a three-way playoff with Rickie Fowler and D.A. Points (who he was paired with — it was a pretty thrilling duel watching the two on the back nine trade shots). Fowler hit an impressive approach shot on the first playoff hole, No. 18, to win with a birdie, leaving McIlroy with another top-three finish.
If it’s any consolation, Rory, who needed to finish seventh or better to dethrone Luke Donald, is back atop the world rankings. Donald placed third at last week’s Zurich Classic to topple Rory. It’s been a game of musical chairs for those two, who seem to switch places between No. 1 and No. 2 every week or two. (continue reading…)
For the win!
Rickie Fowler told the media earlier this week at the Wells Fargo Championship that his first PGA Tour win was in the near future. Just a few days later, the 23-year-old golfer walked into the interview room, sat down, and said, smiling, “I told you guys it was coming soon.” (continue reading…)
Moore, a martyr for what most thought rule 18-2b change addressed
When Ryan Moore went to tap-in a 12-inch putt on the 11th green, he noticed the ball moved ever so slightly due to what was presumed as gravity or another outside force, but not because he had caused it. He had set his putter down on the ground, addressed the ball and taken his back stroke to where the putter face was about ten-inches behind the ball. (continue reading…)
Free drop
I don’t even know where to begin and I know I am relatively new on the golf beat (second full season, third year), but the curious case of Tiger Woods’ “lost” or “stolen” ball on the 5th hole in the second round of the Wells Fargo Championship was the weirdest thing I’ve seen out here by far. The entire day was unusual, but it’s not often a player’s ball disappears into thin air, especially when it’ has “TW” and a Nike logo branded on it and hundreds of spectators in the vicinity. (continue reading…)
Tiger sticks it out
After an erratic front nine, Tiger Woods managed to salvage a one-under 71. He got off to a rough start and couldn’t garner any momentum early in his round, making three bogeys and two birdies before turning it around with a bogey-free back nine.
Discuss. My ride is going to leave without me. I’ll expand on this post when I return to the hotel. (continue reading…)
Rickie still searching for first W on PGA Tour
Rickie Fowler switched his hands on the putter grip — otherwise known as “cross-handed” or “left-hand low” — while he was working on his setup last Tuesday at TPC Louisiana and stuck with it. He said it’s something he’s done in the past, but until last week at the Zurich Classic, he hadn’t used it since he’s been on the PGA Tour. The 23-year-old golfer finished T10, his second top ten of the season, and he’s off to a hot start, firing a six-under 66 at the Wells Fargo Championship, just one shot behind first-round leaders Webb Simpson, Ryan Moore and Stewart Cink.
Great start, but of all the Tour players looking for their first win, Fowler has become the poster child for best-player-without-a-win. I’d like him to get it over with, so we can stop analyzing it and writing about it. It’s been the gazillion-pound gorilla in the room for so long now that it’s become an open discussion, which Fowler has handled gracefully. (continue reading…)
Wells Fargo, this week’s title sponsor at the Quail Hollow Club, has teamed up with First Book to stage a virtual book drive called “Reading Above Par,” a non-profit organization that is determined to see that all children, regardless of their economic conditions, can achieve more in school and in life through access to an ongoing supply of new books. As an extension of this annual initiative, the bank is encouraging fans to get involved — either on-site by stopping by the “Wells Fargo Banking Center” or online via its Facebook page.
Over the last few days I’ve gone around and asked probably about two dozen players about the program and their own reading interests. You may or may not be surprised by the most popular responses (and blank stares). (continue reading…)
McIlroy: All grown up.
At the 2010 Quail Hollow Championship, Rory McIlroy, who was only 20-years-old, nearly missed the cut before holing out for eagle on the par-5 No. 7 (his 16th hole) in the second round to make it on the number. It feels like it was just the other week that McIlroy put on a weekend clinic, firing rounds of 66-62 to capture his first PGA Tour victory, which included a double-breaking 30-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to top off the stirring come-from-behind win.
Now, two years later, the 22-year-old reigning U.S. Open champion is back in Charlotte, rested and ready for competition after only making one start in the last seven weeks to jump-start his summer. McIlroy, who has always been mature beyond his years, turns 23 on Friday and said he’s cutting back to about 23 events this season compared to around 30 last year. (continue reading…)
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