SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Rickie Fowler has withdrawn from the WM Phoenix Open, citing an sickness.
He shot a 3-over 74 throughout spherical one, a day during which he struggled at TPC Scottsdale. In doing so, the previous Oklahoma State Cowboy regarded extra like a Large Sport Hunter as Fowler donned a camouflage outfit from head to toe. His look caught the eye of everybody on the grounds in addition to on social media.
The second of his first spherical got here on the par-4 ninth gap. Fowler, who hit solely 7-of-14 fairways on Thursday, pulled his tee shot nicely left of the golf green, and his ball got here to relaxation in a bush.
The jokes about his second shot on the ninth then wrote themselves:
He blended in with the bush, wanting like he was on a searching expedition as an alternative of competing in “The Folks’s Open.” Fowler may solely summon a chip-out from there and finally made a double-bogey, emblematic of his spherical general.
Final week at Pebble Seaside, Fowler tied for 53rd, and earlier than that, he made his season debut at The American Categorical, the place he tied for twenty first. He carded a 10-under 62 throughout the second spherical on the Nicklaus Match Course that week, his lowest rating because the first spherical of the 2023 U.S. Open on the Los Angeles Nation Membership.
Fowler performed sporadically final fall, making three begins in October. His finest end got here on the ZOZO Championship, a solo fourth end, marking the sixteenth straight season during which he recorded a top-10 on the PGA Tour.
He did obtain a sponsor’s exemption into subsequent week’s Genesis Invitational hosted by Tiger Woods. That occasion moved from Riviera in Los Angeles to Torrey Pines South in San Diego because of the wildfires that wreaked havoc in Pacific Palisades. Contemplating his camo outfit did him no favors in Scottsdale, Fowler will possible not pull it out once more subsequent week — that’s, if he’s wholesome sufficient to compete.
Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Enjoying By. Observe him on X @jack_milko.
