‘It’s going to happen here soon’: Is this the week Rickie Fowler gets a win?

Is it his time?

Jim Nantz might have this weekend’s Rocket Mortgage Classic off, however his legendary name for Phil Mickelson’s first main championship almost 20 years in the past may match Rickie Fowler’s sixth PGA Tour win completely.

Formally, Sunday will mark 1,610 days since Rickie Fowler final tasted victory on the PGA Tour, but it surely feels a lot longer. Particularly so after the previous three weeks.

Since lacking the reduce on the PGA Championship, Fowler has been on a tear with a T6 at Colonial, T9 at Memorial earlier than he even held the 54-hole lead at Los Angeles Nation Membership two weeks in the past.

You realize by now he completed T5 on the U.S. Open after a flat Sunday 75 left him five back of Wyndham Clarkhowever then he flirted with 59 on the Vacationers. He went into the ultimate spherical final week in a tie for fourth, however a distant six again and completed T13, breaking his run of top-10s.

“I felt actually good Sunday final week and simply didn’t get something going, didn’t get something out of it,” Fowler stated Saturday night. “Sunday on the U.S. Open, timing acquired somewhat off, I wasn’t hitting my irons as type of tight and on my numbers, as I had been all week, didn’t make a lot on high of that.”

Now he’s come to considered one of his sponsors’ occasions this week in Detroit and never solely has he stored the shape up, he’s acquired the 54-hole lead all to himself this time.

You’ve heard it most likely near 1,000,000 occasions prior to now month, however Fowler’s season has been a resurgent oneeven earlier than this run of play. He held the 54-hole lead earlier this season on the Zozo Championship in Japan in October earlier than settling for runner-up — his highest end since that victory on the 2019 Waste Administration Phoenix Open.

Have all of the shut calls after such a chronic run of subpar play taken their toll on the now-34-year-old Fowler? Not an opportunity.

“Like I discussed on the U.S. Open, being by way of these previous couple of years, I’m not scared to fail,” Fowler stated. “I’ve handled loads of that and handled loads of unhealthy golf. So simply hold trusting swing ideas and go persist with our recreation plan and go play some golf.”

Fowler put collectively his greatest spherical of the week thus far Saturday, making birdie on six of his remaining 8 holes to shoot 64 and get to twenty below par.

His iron recreation was sharp, lacking only one inexperienced as a result of he needed to take an unplayable left of the tenth fairway. His putter was rolling similar to it has for a lot of the 12 months, taking simply 28 putts regardless of hitting so many greens.

If there was any weak spot, it was his driving, the place he misplaced strokes to the sector. That was additionally part of his recreation the place he noticed he had room for enchancment after he analyzed his remaining spherical on the U.S. Open, he stated.

“The massive factor is getting the ball in play. Acquired to be enjoying from the green,” Fowler stated. “I do know what I must do, I understand how I must swing irons and all that. We’ve been in — such as you stated — been on this place ample occasions all year long after which being both remaining group or near the ultimate group final week or the final two weeks.”

He’s acquired his third 54-hole lead this season, however he is aware of which means nothing, in any case, he’s solely 2-for-10 at changing 54-hole leads in his profession. There’s no added stress to get the job completed Sunday.

“Whether or not it occurs tomorrow or not, it’s going to occur right here quickly,” Fowler stated. “I’m not urgent that, hey, I must go get it completed tomorrow or it means completely nothing. I’ve been enjoying a variety of actually good golf and been placing myself in good positions. This positively received’t be the final, however yeah, it is going to be enjoyable tomorrow.”

And if it actually is Fowler’s time Sunday, it should actually be a very long time coming.

Jack Hirsh

Golf.com Editor

Jack Hirsh is an assistant editor at GOLF. A Pennsylvania native, Jack is a 2020 graduate of Penn State College, incomes levels in broadcast journalism and political science. He was captain of his highschool golf staff and nonetheless *tries* to stay aggressive in native amateurs. Earlier than becoming a member of GOLF, Jack spent two years working at a TV station in Bend, Oregon, primarily as Multimedia Journalist/reporter, but additionally producing, anchoring and even presenting the climate. He could be reached at jack.hirsh@golf.com.