Rickie Fowler, Justin Thomas off to hot start at Phoenix Open

Rickie Fowler and Justin Thomas are two of the biggest fan favorites on the PGA TOUR today. They certainly gave the crowds at the Waste Management Phoenix Open their money’s worth on Thursday, getting off to an early lead in the desert.

Rickie Fowler rolled into TPC Scottsdale on Thursday looking like something out of a John Deere ad. The moustache, the green and white color-blocked hat (a nod to Waste Management, of course), the stand bag – almost a throwback to his long-haired early years. Of course, this isn’t the Quad Cities, and these days Fowler’s style, both on and off the course, is more calculated and cool than brash and bold.

That translated nearly flawlessly in his opening round at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Fowler shot an opening-round 64 (-7) to take a share of the early lead. It was precisely the type of round that he needed, too, following a largely disappointing start to 2019 last week at the Farmers Insurance Open.

It didn’t take long for the fireworks to start, either. Fowler began his day in the fifth group off of the No. 10 tee, alongside Matt Kuchar (-4) and Tony Finau (+1). After a pair of pars to open the day, Fowler hit his tee shot on the par-3 12th just four feet past the hole, and his birdie putt got him into red numbers quickly.

Not one to rest on his laurels, the former Oklahoma State Cowboy took advantage of the first par-5 of the day as well, making eagle on No. 13 to get to 3-under through four holes. A birdie on 17 sent Fowler to the turn at -4, and after jarring three more on his way back in, Fowler signed a squeaky-clean card to share the clubhouse lead.

Of course, the people he’s sharing it with will have something to say about the proceedings going forward, most notably Justin Thomas. Thomas and Fowler have been fast friends on TOUR, celebrating each other’s successes (personal and professional) and making #SB2K one of the most anticipated parts of the golfing calendar.

These guys get along so well, they’re even sharing a rental house this week despite the fact that they’ve both earned enough money to keep plenty of space to themselves. They’ll compete to beat each others’ brains out on the course, then go home at night, share dinner, and talk about who’s going to get the better of it tomorrow. It’s the ultimate buddies’ trip, just with a monster paycheck at the end.

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Thomas made just one birdie in his first eight holes, but then the desert heat caught up with him, and it showed on the scorecard. A birdie on 18 was the first of four in a row, and six in a seven-hole stretch. TPC Scottsdale isn’t known to have wildly challenging greens, but Thomas did most of his damage with irons in his hands. While he ranked “just” 24th in strokes gained putting on the day, Thomas led the field in strokes gained on approach. Really, though, it was a complete effort from one of the game’s best.

"“I was in control of everything tee to green,” Thomas said. “I didn’t necessarily get off to the greatest start scorewise, but I felt like I was playing playing well. Those front pins were tucked pins, very hard to get to. It was nice to get finally get off to a good start at this event.”"

The prospects of a Thomas-Fowler duel down the stretch on Super Bowl Sunday are enough to get any golf fan’s mind racing, but it’s hard to win a golf tournament on Thursday. They’re not even alone on top, as Harold Varner III is more than capable of playing spoiler to the house party.

Varner, 28, brought the heat early in his round, making birdie on five of his first seven holes. A tough bogey on No. 2 did put a slight damper on the front nine, but not much would slow down the showman in Varner. He rattled off three birdies on the back nine, including a rafter-rattling 31-footer for birdie on the stadium 16th (which neither Fowler or Thomas could match) to reach -7 for his round. He even broke out the dab, a move I highly doubt you’ll see at most other venues on the TOUR schedule.

Next. Gary Woodland and Amy Bockerstette create a perfect moment in Phoenix. dark

The Waste Management Phoenix Open is one of the most anticipated, high-energy events on the PGA TOUR slate. It only gets better with the likes of Rickie Fowler, Justin Thomas, and yes, Harold Varner III setting a white-hot pace early on. Really, it’s the epitome of what this new generation of golf is about: big personalities, creating new traditions, and most importantly, backing all of that up with some serious skill between the ropes.

If Thursday was any indicator, we’re in for a monster week in Phoenix. Hey, just remember: that football game doesn’t start that early on Sunday.

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