LOS ANGELES – By his own admission, Rickie Fowler just didn’t have it today.
Fowler set a championship record with an opening-round 8-under 62 at the 2023 U.S. Open and held at least a share of the lead until Sunday afternoon at Los Angeles Country Club. With a long-awaited first major championship just ahead on the horizon, the California native was chasing a historic win less than 100 miles from his hometown. He found himself in the final pairing alongside eventual champion Wyndham Clark, a position he’s been in twice before, both in 2014.
Fowler finished T-2 behind Martin Kaymer at the U.S. Open that year and T-2 behind Rory McIlroy later in the summer at the Open Championship. This time, Fowler sprayed his way to a 5-over 75 and finished T-5, five shots off the pace.
MORE: 2023 U.S. Open leaderboard
“Iron play was very below average and didn’t make anything. That’s a big thing in majors, especially on a Sunday. Making putts and kind of keeping it fairly stress-free,” said Fowler, who now has nine top-five finishes in 48 major appearances. “(Sunday) was kind of the opposite. I was kind of fighting through it all day.”
“I wasn’t as tight in hitting my spots, and that was how it was, especially the first two days,” Fowler continued. “I had a lot of control and was able to place the ball where I wanted on greens, and today I was just a bit off, whether it was left, right, more so than distance control, and just wasn’t able to put the ball in the proper position where I could go be aggressive to make putts.
“We had a lot of good stuff this week. Unfortunately today we just couldn’t get it going.”
Fowler knew his ship had sailed off into the Pacific sunset when Clark hit a gem of a shot from 282 yards to just 20 feet on the par-5 14th hole.
“That was a very good shot in the situation and moment. Obviously made 4. I thought if I could make that putt on the next, which I nearly did, I thought that might kind of give me a shot to get a two-shot swing and maybe make a run in the last three,” said Fowler. “No, I knew I was on the outside looking in, but at the same time, you never know what’s going to happen. You don’t wish bad on anyone, but it’s tough to close out tournaments. Yeah, somewhere I’d say probably when I missed the fairway on 16, I knew that was going to be a tough hill to climb from there.”
It would be easy for Fowler to beat himself up after each round got a little bit worse as the week went on. After his record-setting 62, he signed for scores of 68 and 70 before his first over-par round of the championship Sunday. Instead, he’s choosing to take the high road and appreciate the perspective that comes with another close call.
“I was just really excited on how I felt this week, how comfortable I felt to go out and back up my first round and continue to play well. I enjoyed it. You learn from all your experiences,” explained Fowler. “Not the position I wanted to be in after today, but a lot of good coming from this week.”
Fans showed out for the California kid this week, with bright orange shirts and hats scattered all throughout the final-round gallery. While he appreciated the fan support, his family support will make this bad-tasting finish a lot easier to swallow.
“Obviously very bummed, but being able to see my daughter before scoring, it kind of takes a lot of that away because in the kind of big picture, big scheme of things, yes, we want to win tournaments and be the one holding the trophy, but she could care less if I shoot 65 or 85,” he said. “But to have her there, and then we’ll travel to Travelers tomorrow morning, yeah, it kind of just makes you realize and understand golf is special and it’s what I love to do, but it’s definitely not everything.”
Fowler’s form has been on the upward trend as of late, especially this season. In 18 PGA Tour starts, the 34-year-old has seven top 10 finishes, including a runner-up showing at the Zozo Championship last fall. He’s consistently been in the mix, and another solid major performance seems more likely to be in the cards than not, which hasn’t been the case for quite some time.
Phil Mickelson won his first major at the 2004 Masters after 47 career major appearances without a victory. Adam Scott claimed his first after 48 starts at the 2013 Masters. Stewart Cink took 50 tries before he was victorious at the 2009 Open Championship. Others to win their first majors late in their careers include Sergio Garcia (74 starts), Tom Kite (72 starts), Mark O’Meara (59 starts) and Darren Clarke (54 starts).
Fowler performance this week won’t change a thing about how he’s viewed in the media or by fans. Whether it’s a good result or bad, Fowler is open and honest with his answers on his game. Whether he shoots 65 or 75, he’ll sign autographs for young fans until his hand cramps. He’s been a fixture in the game for more than a decade, and another disappointing result won’t change that.
The 2023 U.S. Open just wasn’t his week in the end, but who’s to say the next won’t be?
