By Dave Shedoski
AUGUSTA, Georgia -- "Golf happened." Yes,
it very much did today at Augusta National Golf Club, and that was
the best explanation Rickie Fowler could manage in trying to explain his
opening, hope-ending 8-over-par 80 in an accidental nod to
commemorating the 80th Masters Tournament.
The skittish effort on a
blustery day was his worst by four shots and put him in danger of
missing his first cut in six Masters starts.
Rated
among the favorites heading into the year's first major, Fowler, 27,
posted his third round of 80 or higher in a major championship,
following a first-round 81 in last year's U.S. Open at Chambers Bay and a
second-round 80 in the 2012 PGA Championship at the Ocean Course at
Kiawah Island,
Fowler has not had a top-10 finish in a major since
2014, when he finished in the top five in all four.
"Golf's not an easy game," said Fowler, who still looked shell-shocked afterward.
"It
is a fine line, especially at this place," he added. "You see Jordan
[Spieth] out there, I think he's at five or so [under] right now. I go
play a decent back nine and I'm 3‑under par. It can go either way and it
can definitely go the other way, the high number way, a lot easier than
it can the low.
The No. 5 player
in the world, Fowler looked like he was on his way to a decent day
despite a double-bogey on the opening hole. He birdied Nos. 2, 3 and 5,
the latter with an approach to four feet after the ball nearly landed in
the hole on the fly.
Fowler bogeyed the seventh, and then a bogey at the
10th from the bunker kicked off his struggle to an inward 44 that
included a triple-bogey at the par-5 13th and a double-bogey at the 16th
after pulling a 7-iron into the pond.
His bogey at the last was icing on a poorly-baked cake.
Asked how disappointed he was, Fowler needed just one word before heading straight to the practice range.
"Very."
That can happen when golf happens.
Ernie Els took seven putts from 10ft to run up a 10 at the first hole ... the highest ever score at the opening hole of the Masters.
Ernie Els took seven putts from 10ft to run up a 10 at the first hole ... the highest ever score at the opening hole of the Masters.
Labels: MASTERS
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