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From the Washington Times
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From the Washington Times
SCOTTSDALE, Arizona (AP) - The Waste Management Phoenix Open is a bit out there by US PGA Tour standards. So is Rickie Fowler.
As comfortable in a motocross race as a golf tournament as a kid in California, Fowler was as fashion-forward as ever in high tops and jogger pants Thursday in front of more than 100,000 fans at TPC Scottsdale.
“I grew up around action sports and this kind of reminds me more of being at action sports events,” Fowler said. “The fans being loud and having fun.”
He brought as much substance as style, shooting a 6-under 65 to tie Irishman Shane Lowry and Japan's Hideki Matsuyama for the lead in the suspended first round.
After an hour frost delay at the chilly Stadium Course, Fowler played the first six holes in 5 under.
“I made some good putts to start the round,” Fowler said. “Just kind of got everything going. Made a couple of bad swings. Cost me a little bit, but other than that, nice way to get off to a good start.”
Fowler missed the cut last week at Torrey Pines after winning the European Tour event in Abu Dhabi the previous week. He has four worldwide victories in the last nine months.
“I know I have been swinging well and playing well,” Fowler said. “I just didn’t make anything last week.”
Fowler opened with a birdie on the par-4 10th as the temperature crawled into the 40s, holing a 16-foot putt. He made a 35-footer on the 12th, two-putted for birdie on the 13th and made a 28-foot eagle putt on the par-5 15th after hitting a 258-yard shot over the water.
“I had a good number in there,” Fowler said. “Actually, put a 5-wood in play last week, a new one.”
The top-ranked player in the field at No. 4, Fowler bogeyed the par-3 16th after drawing an awkward lie in the right bunker. He birdied the short par-4 17th, and bogeyed the par-4 18th after driving left into the water. On his back nine, he got up-and-down for birdie from a greenside bunker on the par-5 third and closed with a 12-foot birdie putt on the par-4 ninth.
While Fowler overcame some bad shots, Phil Mickelson compounded his mistakes to fall back. After playing his first eight holes in 5 under to take the lead, Lefty dropped four strokes in a two-hole stretch and finished with a 69.
On his back nine, Mickelson bogeyed the par-3 fourth after hitting short and right and failing to reach the green with his second, and unraveled with a triple bogey on the par-4 fifth. He drove out of bounds to the right, hit his second tee shot into the right bunker and three-putted from 50 feet.
“I hit a bad shot at the wrong time,” Mickelson said. “It’s the tightest hole out there. You miss the fairway 5 yards left, you’re in the wash, in the hazard. You miss it right of the bunker, you’re out of bounds. … I’m not going to dwell on the one bad one because there were really a lot of good ones.”
The best one was on the par-5 13th - his fourth hole of the day - when he hit a 252-yard hybrid approach to 2 1/2 feet to set up an eagle.
As comfortable in a motocross race as a golf tournament as a kid in California, Fowler was as fashion-forward as ever in high tops and jogger pants Thursday in front of more than 100,000 fans at TPC Scottsdale.
“I grew up around action sports and this kind of reminds me more of being at action sports events,” Fowler said. “The fans being loud and having fun.”
He brought as much substance as style, shooting a 6-under 65 to tie Irishman Shane Lowry and Japan's Hideki Matsuyama for the lead in the suspended first round.
After an hour frost delay at the chilly Stadium Course, Fowler played the first six holes in 5 under.
“I made some good putts to start the round,” Fowler said. “Just kind of got everything going. Made a couple of bad swings. Cost me a little bit, but other than that, nice way to get off to a good start.”
Fowler missed the cut last week at Torrey Pines after winning the European Tour event in Abu Dhabi the previous week. He has four worldwide victories in the last nine months.
“I know I have been swinging well and playing well,” Fowler said. “I just didn’t make anything last week.”
Fowler opened with a birdie on the par-4 10th as the temperature crawled into the 40s, holing a 16-foot putt. He made a 35-footer on the 12th, two-putted for birdie on the 13th and made a 28-foot eagle putt on the par-5 15th after hitting a 258-yard shot over the water.
“I had a good number in there,” Fowler said. “Actually, put a 5-wood in play last week, a new one.”
The top-ranked player in the field at No. 4, Fowler bogeyed the par-3 16th after drawing an awkward lie in the right bunker. He birdied the short par-4 17th, and bogeyed the par-4 18th after driving left into the water. On his back nine, he got up-and-down for birdie from a greenside bunker on the par-5 third and closed with a 12-foot birdie putt on the par-4 ninth.
While Fowler overcame some bad shots, Phil Mickelson compounded his mistakes to fall back. After playing his first eight holes in 5 under to take the lead, Lefty dropped four strokes in a two-hole stretch and finished with a 69.
On his back nine, Mickelson bogeyed the par-3 fourth after hitting short and right and failing to reach the green with his second, and unraveled with a triple bogey on the par-4 fifth. He drove out of bounds to the right, hit his second tee shot into the right bunker and three-putted from 50 feet.
“I hit a bad shot at the wrong time,” Mickelson said. “It’s the tightest hole out there. You miss the fairway 5 yards left, you’re in the wash, in the hazard. You miss it right of the bunker, you’re out of bounds. … I’m not going to dwell on the one bad one because there were really a lot of good ones.”
The best one was on the par-5 13th - his fourth hole of the day - when he hit a 252-yard hybrid approach to 2 1/2 feet to set up an eagle.
Labels: US PGA TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Friday, February 05, 2016
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