Rickie Fowler Clearly Best Player at TaylorMade Driving Relief

While it may have been a surprise to some, Rickie Fowler was clearly the best player during Sunday’s TaylorMade Driving Relief event.

On paper, there was a clear favorite in Sunday’s TaylorMade Driving Relief skins game. Former world number one Dustin Johnson paired with current number one Rory McIlroy against Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff.

Clearly, the Johnson-McIlroy pair, who had combined to win five major championships, should have been favored over Fowler and Wolff, who had combined for just six wins on the PGA Tour. In addition, it would make sense if McIlroy had been the best player on the course on Sunday. If not him, Johnson would have been the choice.

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But there is no doubt who the best player was in Sunday’s match. It was clearly Fowler, who got his irons and putter going early, then rode the huge wave of momentum for a period of time on the back nine, where he was, by far, the top player on the course.

After seeing the Johnson/McIlroy duo take the lead with a skin on the third hole, Fowler responded with a birdie of his own on number four. His second shot, with an eight iron, put him in prime position to make the birdie putt and get his team on the board, which he did.

Fowler struck again on the ninth hole, rolling in a birdie to claim three skins and to give his team the lead in dollars won. But Fowler was just getting started. After a par on the 10th hole, Fowler birdied both the par-4 11th hole and the par-4 12th hole, winning a total of $200,000 for he and Wolff, giving the tandem a $400,000 lead, and a 7-5 lead in skins won.

What was even more impressive about Fowler’s effort on Sunday was that he got virtually no help from his young partner. The moment appeared to be too much for Wolff, who only appeared to be comfortable a couple of times during the round. Fowler literally carried the duo all day long. Of the seven skins the pair earned, Fowler earned them all. Every. Single. One.

While the other players, especially Johnson, showed signs of rust in Sunday’s round, Fowler looked comfortable almost from the very start. He was also the player who seemed to have the best temperament of the day. He was serious when he needed to be, but also seemed to have fun, especially when he played well. On a couple of occasions, Fowler acknowledged the non-existent gallery at Seminole Golf Club on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

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If the rounds had played out, Fowler would have shot something around a 67, which would have been the best on the course. McIlroy’s 70 would have been the second-best round of the day. Wolff would have been around even par, while Johnson would have shot at least a 76.

Fowler, who has the unfortunate title of best player to never win a major, held his own against a pair of the world’s best on Sunday. With the PGA Tour resuming in less than a month, Fowler appears to be ready to have a big summer, if Sunday’s round is any indication.

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