Rickie Fowler didn't win his first PGA TOUR event Sunday at Muirfield Village, but it wasn't a total loss. He did gain a valuable lesson that should serve him well in the future.And at 21 years old, that future should produce plenty of success.
Entering the final round of the Memorial Tournament presented by Morgan Stanley with a three-shot lead, Fowler ended up shooting a 1-over 73 to finish second by three shots to Justin Rose.
But there was nothing to be ashamed of with the 73. Windy, rain-free conditions on Sunday turned Muirfield into a much more difficult course than the one Fowler had conquered in the first three rounds, including his record-tying 36-hole score of 13 under.
Although the tournament's founder, Jack Nicklaus, thought the wind might actually be beneficial to Fowler because of the youngster's playing days at Oklahoma State -- where, if you believe the musical Oklahoma!, "the wind comes sweeping down the plains" -- the legendary golfer also thought Fowler handled himself well on Sunday.
"I don't think Fowler has anything to be ashamed of," Nicklaus said. "I think he played very well today."
Fowler agreed. He was composed and upbeat after his final round, knowing that despite coming up short, he had played solid all week while posting his second runner-up finish of the year. He was looking forward to playing in Monday's 36-hole U.S. Open sectional qualifier, excited to keep the momentum going.
"It was an awesome week," Fowler said. "Obviously not the round that I wanted today. Didn't hit as many greens as I would like to, but we just had a lot of fun."
The last time Fowler was in a position to win, earlier this year at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, he had been criticized for laying up at a par-5 instead of playing aggressively to win.
On Sunday, he was tied for the lead with Rose when he arrived at the par-3 12th. When his tee shot found the water right of the green, the first thought was that he had overcompensated, took a line that was too aggressive and ultimately paid the price with a double bogey.
Fowler said that wasn't the case. He just hit a bad shot.
"I was trying to aim at the back bunker and cut it off a little bit there," he said. "The ball started going where I wasn't trying to. So I just made a bad swing and paid for it."
Fowler had entered the final round having played bogey-free golf for 52 consecutive holes, but a bogey at the second ended that streak. He responded, though, with birdies at the sixth and eight holes and still held the lead entering the back nine.
But a bogey at 10 and that double bogey at 12 dropped him off the pace. After that, he pressed to catch Rose, but the Englishman was too solid.
"Up until I hit that 5-iron in the water on 12, I was liking my position," Fowler said. "It would have been a fight throughout those last six holes."
Overall, though, the positives will outweight any negatives from that poor shot at the 12th.
"The best part is he thought well around the golf course, his emotions never got to him," said his caddie Donnie Darr, Fowler's former assistant coach at Oklahoma State and now the head coach at Ohio State. "Even when he hit that bad shot at 12, he just kept plugging away and doing the right thing."
Indeed, Fowler said he stuck to his game plan and now knows that he's on the right path. He gained valuable experience in how he played down the stretch in Phoenix. And now he gained more experience with his play this week.
"I'm pleased with how comfortable I felt this week after having those chances," Fowler said. "I look forward to the rest of the year."
With good reason. Not only is he pushing for his first win, but his big goal is to make the Ryder Cup team.
So don't expect him to back down.
"This won't be the last time Ricky will get in contention," Darr said. "I'm sure he'll learn from this experience."
-PGA Tour
