Rickie Fowler faded in the final day of the U.S. Open at the Los Angeles Country Club, painfully falling back five spots from his lead. But it's not time to write him off just yet.
Rickie Fowler stunned fans with an opening round of 62 at the 123rd U.S. Open on Thursday, electrifying golf fans who have hoped the popular golfer would capitalize on his enormous talent and collect his maiden major.
As he retained his lead throughout the tournament, it looked like this time was upon us. He remained calm each of the first three days of play, retaining his impressive lead by day two, with an eager Wyndham Clark nipping at his heels by the time Sunday came around.
But on the last day of play, it was Wyndham Clark's turn to keep his composure and take advantage of his confident play. Clark, 29, set his own standard of excellence with a birdie on the first hole Sunday. He may have bogeyed four holes after that, but with three more birdies canceling those out, the Denver, Colorado native achieved the career-defining breakthrough.
It was Wyndham Clark's day, who kept more seasoned contenders such as Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler and Cameron Smith at bay.
His emotional reaction said it all about how much his heartfelt win meant to him.
Rickie Fowler ended up sharing the Top-5 spot with Tommy Fleetwood and Min Woo Lee at five under. The 2023 U.S. Open represented another major that got away from Fowler, a thought that will no doubt plague the charismatic golfer. His last best finish at a major was his second place at the 2018 Masters tournament. He also placed T2 two other times in Majors, including the U.S. Open and The Open in 2014, the year he finished in the Top 5 of all four majors, only the third player to do so (behind Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods). He remains the only one, however, to accomplish that stat without winning one.
The sting of the defeat at the U.S. Open is sure to haunt Rickie Fowler—with another major championship slipping from his grasp—but his performance was in no way a failure.
The level of play that the 34-year-old Fowler displayed was astounding. He set a U.S. Open record with 23 birdies over the stretch of the tournament. Sure, he probably should have won with that caliber of play, but the Southern Californian is posting his best form that fans have seen in years.
Still seeking another PGA Tour win since his 2019 Phoenix Open victory, the five-time PGA winner has seen his ranking climb to the highest it's been in years. He's also been on an incredible hot streak since last fall's Fortinet Championship, consistently posting Top 20 finishes ever since, including seven Top 10 spots, T6 results at the Charles Schwab and Fortinet Championship, and second place at Zozo last month.
There's a lot to be excited about for Rickie Fowler, one of the most compelling figures in the sport.
Fowler has a bright side he can turn to. Sure he's come close before. But he's playing such stellar golf, he has ample opportunities to give himself. He can also look at the recent example of Brooks Koepka, who learned from the mistakes he made on the final day of this year's The Masters, where he tied for second place, but then managed to turn that disappointment around one month later to collect his fifth major at the PGA Championship.
A revitalized Fowler is an exciting prospect in the sport of golf. One of the most popular players on the tour, he's a class act who has always endeared himself to fans.
It's why the lion's share of fans will continue to cheer him on to win his first major. Fowler's moving words to Wyndham Clark said it all about his integrity and spirit.
Rickie Fowler is playing some of the best golf in years. Why focus on the negative? He's a great guy and plenty of us still believe he'll get that elusive major, and who knows? Perhaps a few of them. I trust the guy in orange will make it happen.
In the words of Ted Lasso, "Believe."