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Rickie Fowler in Prime Position Heading Into Weekend in Phoenix

By Ryan Andrade

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Rickie Fowler goes into the weekend in Phoenix poised to collect the hardware.

Rickie Fowler is in the cat-bird seat. After a 3-under-par 68 in round 2 of the Waste Management Phoenix Open, Fowler sits just one back of leader James Hahn. The World #4 is continuing to show everybody that he is so much more than just a marketing machine. He got game.

Fowler is only a week removed from missing the cut at the Farmer’s Insurance Open. However, he is only two weeks removed from winning against a tough field in Abu Dhabi.

Fowler was very stagnant on his first 12 holes. He easily could have gotten frustrated, but showed how great his mental game is by holing a bunch of 4 footers for par. Because of that, he was able to play the first 12 in 1-under-par, when he easily could have been a couple over par.

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Rickie would be able to add birdies both par-5’s on the back side. The birdie he made on 15 was very intriguing. He only had about 240 yards to the hole for his second shot, but decided to play if safe and lay up to 50 yards. From there he would play a beauty to 4 feet.

It showed Fowler’s maturity by being able to dial down his aggressiveness. The big issue everybody always had with Rickie Fowler was his knack for occasionally making a big number at a hole that really takes him out of it. You don’t see him hardly ever make mental mistakes anymore. All those tough moments he has faced in his career have really turned him into a better player today.

After a disappointing bogey at the short par-4 17th, Fowler bounced right back on 18 by hitting a lovely approach to 4 feet. That brought him to 9-under-par for the tournament and one back.

Rickie Fowler is going to be the heavy favorite to take home the hardware on Sunday. He’s no doubt earned that status at this point.

Leader James Hahn shot a very tidy and bogey free 6-under-par 65. Perhaps the most interesting moment of his round was when he missed the green on the stadium 16th hole. He heard the boo birds from the record setting crowd, so he elected to do some self-inflicted punishment.

As if “dabbing” on the Arizona crowd yesterday wasn’t enough, North Carolina native Harold Varner III took it a step further by whipping out his Cam Newton jersey as he walked to the 16th green. Safe to say Varner isn’t the most popular player in the field, after pouring salt in the wounds of all of these Cardinal’s fans after the Panther’s defeated them in the NFC Championship.

Last week’s winner Brandt Snedeker and Bubba Watson, who has been very outspoken about his dislike for the course, both sit at 4-under-par and 6 shots off the pace. Three-time Phoenix Open Champion Phil Mickelson is 8 shots back of Hahn, after a disappointing even-par 71.

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This is the greatest atmosphere of any tournament all year. If you thought Friday was intense, just wait because Saturday year in and year out has the highest attendance rating of any day on the PGA Tour. Those that are able to embrace the noise and pressure are the one’s that will be contending on the back nine on Sunday. Not many, if any, are better at embracing this kind of atmosphere than Rickie Fowler.

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