News
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Fowler Continues Magical Run With First-Round 70
Rickie Fowler had a solid first round, which put him in early contention. (John Mummert/USGA)
San Diego - Rickie Fowler is no stranger to big competitions. Last fall, the Murrieta, Calif., resident helped the USA Walker Cup team defeat Great Britain and Ireland before boisterous pro-Britain crowds at Royal County Down in Northern Ireland. And in 2006 at the U.S. Amateur, he defeated college All-American Pablo Martin in a third-round match to reach the quarterfinals.
This year, he won the Ben Hogan Award as the nation’s top collegiate golfer and the Phil Mickelson Award as the top Division I freshman while competing for Oklahoma State.
So what’s a little U.S. Open pressure for one of the world’s best amateurs?
Fowler turned in one of the best rounds of the day in Thursday’s opening round at Torrey Pines, carding a 1-under-par 70 that his him tied for seventh. Not bad for a guy who didn’t get into the Open field until Shaun Micheel withdrew last week.
In fact, Fowler has had quite a ride the past two weeks. On June 30, he finished fourth individually at the NCAA Division I Championship in West Lafayette, Ind., (Cowboys were fourth as a team) and he then traveled to Columbus, Ohio, for Open sectional qualifying. Due to darkness, Fowler had to come back the following morning to finish a playoff for the final spots. He was the odd man out and got the dreaded first alternate position.
While traveling to Pennsylvania to defend his Sunnehanna Amateur title, Fowler was contacted by USGA officials, informing him that he was now in the field because of Micheel’s withdrawal. The 19-year-old then won the Sunnehanna before flying out to southern California as the youngest 2008 Open contestant, edging OSU teammate Kevin Tway by six months.
“This week’s a dream come true,” said Fowler. “It’s kind of cool to have people know who I am and what I’ve done. It’s just a great experience.”
A few more good rounds could have Fowler in rarified air. No amateur has won this championship in 75 years (Johnny Goodman in 1933) and only Jack Nicklaus (1960 and ’61), Jim Simons (1971) and Bud Ward (1947) have posted top-5 finishes. Nicklaus was the runner-up in 1960 and tied for fourth the following year, while Simons was the 54-hole leader in ’71 at Merion before tying for fifth. Ward finished solo fifth in ’47.
In 1998, Matt Kuchar was fourth after 36 holes and finished T14 and Spencer Levin tied for 13th in 2004 at Shinnecock Hills.
Despite being a southern Californian, Fowler had not played the South Course much before this week.
“I just stayed patient,” said Fowler. “I hit the ball pretty well … and I made a couple of putts for birdie.”
A Phil Flashback
As if he needed any extra motivation, Phil Mickelson got a shot of it before his opening round Thursday, courtesy of the giant television screens that flank the temporary driving range at Torrey Pines. The four-time Open runner-up was nearing the end of his warm-up session when the screen flashed highlights of the final hole of the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot. Each of the six shots that Mickelson played on the way to a crushing double-bogey 6 that cost him the title was shown.
Mickelson rebounded nicely from three consecutive bogeys on his first nine to post an even-par 71, a shot ahead of fellow competitor Tiger Woods with whom he was grouped. He stands three shots off the lead posted by Justin Hicks.
Teaming Up
Kevin Streelman and Michael Christensen each matriculated at one of the finer Division I academic institutions in the country. Now they are putting that Duke University education to good use as player and caddie.
“It’s neat, he deserves it,” said Christensen of seeing his man tied for the lead after round one. “He works very hard. He went through all the ropes, and I’ll tell you what, hopefully this is just the start of it.”
Streelman and Christensen were teammates on the Duke men’s golf team for three years.
Open Re-Run?
Steve Stricker must have had a sense of déjà vu during his opening round.
When Stricker was last at the U.S. Open -- the ’07 version at Oakmont Country Club -- he briefly held the final-round lead with Stephen Ames when he made birdie at the sixth hole. His round unraveled from there, shooting 42 on the second nine for a 76 and a T13 finish.
On Thursday, Stricker opened with two birdies on the second nine (he started on 10), then added consecutive birdies at 15 and 16 to make the turn at 4-under 32 and the outright lead by a stroke.
"The start was really good," he said.
But just like his Oakmont experience, his round unraveled. He double-bogeyed his 10th hole, the par-4 first, and followed with consecutive bogeys at the second and third. Suddenly he was back to even and freefalling.
"For awhile there I was thinking about jumping in the canyon," Stricker said. "It was a good start and then a bad back side. Actually, I don’t know. Just some holes jumped up and caught me."
Return Engagement
Prior to this week, Oliver Wilson had only played in one U.S. Open, missing the cut at Winged Foot in 2006. His maiden voyage concluded after rounds of 80-76, but don’t expect his second go around to end like his first, thanks to a 1-over-par 72 in Thursday’s first round.
Wilson, a member of the 2003 Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup team, has been on a tear on the European Tour with four runner-up finishes, the last coming in a playoff loss to Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.
“I felt very comfortable out there and I was quite pleased with the way I felt,” Wilson said about his demeanor. “Everything was going along nicely.”
Wilson made the turn at 2-under-par 33 and was on the leaderboard for most of his round, but a string of three bogeys over the last three holes, including the par-5 18th hole, dropped Wilson from his perch.
“To bogey the last was particularly disappointing considering I hit two good shots into the green,” Wilson said of the finishing hole. “Last time I played in the U.S. Open I didn’t give myself much of a chance and about five holes of the first round so this time it was nice to get off to a good start."
Got Videotape?
If Lee Janzen, the 1998 U.S. Open winner, intends to earn a trip back to the championship, he certainly appeared ready to make a run at it right out of the box. Playing with Steve Flesch and Rich Beem, Janzen didn't hit a particularly good opening tee shot, but it did end up in the fairway. His long second to the back-right hole location behind a bunker looked like it covered the flagstick. He ended up hitting it after one bounce. Too bad nobody saw it, or very few, anyway. He was playing in the group behind Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Adam Scott.
Withdrawals
Brett Wetterich withdrew prior to play on Thursday due to a wrist injury. He was replaced in the field by alternate Andrew Svoboda of Larchmont, N.Y., who qualified for the 2006 U.S. Open at his home club (Winged Foot). He was the third alternate to get into the field, following Rickie Fowler and Gary Wolstenholme.
Mark Calcavecchia also withdrew after nine holes (knee). He was eight over par at the time.
Freelance writers Alex Davidson, Stuart Hall and Alex Miceli contributed to this notebook.
