Rickie Fowler took early benefit of his spot within the last main of the 12 months by carding a 2-under par 69 after the primary spherical of The Open Championship at Royal Portrush on Thursday.
Fowler offset three bogeys with 5 birdies, together with going 2 beneath over his last 4 holes to sit down in a tie for tenth place after 18 holes throughout a wet and very sluggish spherical.
“I feel simply not making an attempt to get too cute or attempt to do an excessive amount of, play just a little bit conservative,” Fowler mentioned when requested how he offers with completely different situations all through a spherical at The Open. “Bogeys are OK at occasions. You will get your self into bother fairly shortly on the market should you possibly attempt to do an excessive amount of.”
Fowler, 36, earned his strategy to Northern Eire this week with a top-10 end on the Memorial. He then opted to not come over early for the Scottish Open, deciding as a substitute to play within the John Deere Traditional, the place he tied for 18th.
As soon as an everyday across the first web page of main leaderboards, simply being in attendance is not a given for the world’s A hundred and tenth-ranked participant. Fowler didn’t earn a spot on the Masters or U.S. Open this 12 months and missed the lower on the PGA Championship.
Nonetheless, he has loved a few of his greatest main success at The Open. Amongst Fowler’s 13 earlier begins was a tie for second at Royal Liverpool in 2014 and a tie for fifth at Royal St. George’s in 2011.
“I like taking part in over right here. It is a fashion of golf I like to play,” he mentioned. “I do know I can compete in any fashion of golf, however particularly this.”
Fowler tied for sixth the final time The Open was held at Royal Portrush, carding a 66 on Saturday earlier than struggling to a final-round 74. Nonetheless, it is a course he feels very snug on — one thing he plans to reap the benefits of over the following three days.
“It is a difficult golf course, relying on the place the wind’s at and what sort of climate now we have,” he mentioned. “It’s a must to assume your method round it and hit — execute nonetheless but in addition know when you may possibly play on the aggressive aspect or when it is advisable to form of play conservative or simply keep good and take what the course offers you.
“Undoubtedly good to get off to a stable begin as a result of you may take your self out of the match fairly shortly Thursday with a poor spherical.”
–Subject Stage Media