ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates Rickie Fowler puffed his cheeks and shook his head. But who really would have thought it would be Rickie Fowler after he’d been overshadowed by both Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy in Thursday’s opening round of the HSBC Abu Dhabi Championship?
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Dressed in his trademark Sunday orange, Fowler rebounded from a double-bogey at No. 7, which helped trim his lead over a congested pack of challengers from four strokes to one, by chipping in from 30 yards for eagle from a bunker at No. 8. “It would be a pretty good foursome”, Fowler, 27, said.
Fowler picked up two late shots to end the fog-interrupted third round on Sunday morning with a 65 which put him two strokes clear going into the afternoon’s final round.
With Spieth, Jason Day and McIlroy rightfully viewed as the game’s Big Three, Fowler’s fourth triumph since May a year ago, and his new seat in the rankings, expands that to an obvious four. This win will move him from No. 6 to No. 4 in the rankings, his first spot in the world’s top five. But after months of Rory vs. the world, or Jordan vs. Jason, or (as was the case this week) Jordan vs. Rory, there is a chance we’ve missed one.
I want to be part of the crew.
“It’s a great start to the year for him”, McIlroy said. “I think I mentioned through the summer at some point …”
“[His caddie] Joe and I had talked about that hole and we are going to play it as a three-shot hole the whole time and I, of course, I would hit one of the best tee shots of the day and be a ideal yardage for that hybrid”.
“We were off this week”, Spieth said.
The world No 1 was noticeably off-key during his debut in a regular European Tour event, with erratic driving and unreliability in his putting, and admitted to not being physically 100 per cent after a busy early-season schedule.
The championship went down to the wire.
On the 18th, Pieters made a birdie but Fowler got his par without any issues and wrapped up his win. His putt on the 18th lipped out for eagle.
“It is awesome to play with the best players in the world and to beat the best players in the world”, said Fowler after securing a cheque for around £310,000. It shows in certain places and this week, the first day I was here, I was striping it; since then I was just a little weak with everything, and just my decision-making was a little off.
Nice to have the game where its at right now going into the season, instead of trying to work on things, he said. “I’d say this is really the first time in my career I’ve had that”.
McIlroy, who has now finished runner-up four times and third once in the last six years in Abu Dhabi, was left to rue a poor finish to his third round and the start of the fourth.
Finishing just one shot behind Fowler was Belgian-born Thomas Pieters.
Dufner finished with 2-under 70 on PGA West’s TPC Stadium Course in La Quinta, Calif., to match Lingmerth at 25-under 263. And I’d like to have my shot at getting the Green Jacket there.
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Dufner stayed alive on the first extra hole with an 11-foot par putt after having to lay up on his second shot from near the lip in a right-side bunker.
