LOS ANGELES — Rickie Fowler was two holes away from ending among the best rounds in U.S. Open historical past on Thursday when he pushed his tee shot on the par-5 eighth gap proper. His ball had discovered its approach into one among Los Angeles Nation Membership’s sandy barrancas, however someway, in between a tree and a bridge, Fowler had a window.
He later stated he did not wish to overthink the shot, so he pulled a pitching wedge and hit it completely over and thru each potential hazard. The following strategy shot left him 13 toes for an inconceivable birdie — his tenth of the day — which he sank on his option to a U.S. Open-record 62.
Fowler did not maintain the mark by himself for lengthy. Lower than half-hour later, Xander Schauffele carded his personal 8-under 62 — a spherical freed from bogeys and that includes eight birdies.
“It is probably not what you anticipate at a U.S. Open,” stated Schauffele, who added that “I used to be simply chasing Rickie up the leaderboard.”
Branden Grace was beforehand the one participant to fireside a 62 at a significant, conducting the feat within the third spherical of the 2017 Open Championship.
Beforehand, there had been solely two 8-under rounds in U.S. Open historical past: Justin Thomas in 2017 at Erin Hills (9-under 63 in third spherical) and Johnny Miller in 1973 at Oakmont (8-under 63 in last spherical).
Do that once more tomorrow @RickieFowler ? https://t.co/7eY2SFH91u
— Xander Schauffele (@XSchauffele) June 15, 2023
Regardless of carding two bogeys, Fowler — who began on the again 9 — made 5 birdies in his first 9 holes and had 4 in a row between the 18th gap and the third. By the point he made the 13-foot putt on the eighth gap, he had already made 4 putts of over 10 toes.
“I simply needed to belief it,” Fowler stated of his putter.
Fowler additionally led gamers within the first spherical in strokes gained placing, selecting up 4.81 strokes on the sector. The final time Fowler led a PGA Tour occasion in that class was on the 2019 Waste Administration Open, his final Tour victory. (Fowler gained 9.54 strokes on the sector in that occasion.)
The street again to rivalry has been lengthy for Fowler, who didn’t qualify for the U.S. Open the previous two years or the Masters this yr however has had six top-10 finishes on Tour in 2023. The putter that was sizzling on Thursday has been a key think about his resurgence. It was additionally a putter he didn’t have till just some months in the past.
As his caddie Rickie Romano defined after the spherical, Fowler’s lengthy Odyssey Versa Jailbird is a reproduction of Romano’s personal putter, which Fowler fell in love with forward of the American Categorical event in Palm Springs, California, earlier this yr when the 2 performed 9 holes on the close by Madison Membership.
“On the placing inexperienced, I rolled in a pair and he form of regarded over and was like, ‘Hey, can I see that?'” Romano instructed ESPN after the spherical Thursday. “We went out on the course and performed, and he grabbed it on each inexperienced. After which he used it on each inexperienced. After which on the fourth inexperienced, he stated ‘This putter’s like dishonest.’ … It freed him up.”
Fowler regarded greater than freed up Thursday at LACC. In truth, he stated the way in which he is been taking part in these days has felt just like the closest he is gotten to 2014, among the best years of his profession when he completed within the prime 5 in each main.
“I have been taking part in pretty persistently, however a whole lot of it for me is what I have been in a position to get out of off weeks the place I am not taking part in very nicely,” Fowler stated. “Nonetheless having the ability to make the lower and form of flip these into at the very least prime 20s or prime 10s, the place the previous few years these had been missed cuts and going dwelling.”
“He is been trending in the precise route and simply form of all got here collectively at present,” Romano stated.
Fowler, in fact, was branded one of many sport’s subsequent younger stars when he first turned professional in 2009. He grew to become not only a massive title on the course however a model off it. The signature win of his profession at The Gamers Championship, nonetheless, came to visit eight years in the past in 2015. Although he is come near profitable majors, he has but so as to add one to his résumé.
If there’s one one that is aware of about coming shut in these 4 occasions every year, it is Schauffele, who has six top-five main finishes and no wins in his profession. The California native had some familiarity with this course and it confirmed within the first spherical. Schauffele’s ballstriking was as near perfection, resulting in 16 greens in regulation and a mean of simply over 1.5 putts per gap.
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Schauffele, for his half, downplayed the accomplishment of capturing 62, noting that the cloudy climate and mist in the course of the morning made the greens and fairways softer and extra amenable to scoring. Scottie Scheffler, who completed with a 3-under 67, stated he anticipated Thursday to be the best circumstances they will play in all week.
“I personally didn’t see a 62 on the market, although,” Scheffler stated. “I suppose it was on the market.”
With hotter climate incoming and the USGA more likely to think about establishing the course harder within the forthcoming days, the gamers expect increased scores.
“It is simply Thursday,” Schauffele reminded the media. “It is actually the primary day of the week.”
Fowler reiterated an analogous thought, noting there was nonetheless loads of golf forward. However for a participant who has solely certified for the PGA Championship the previous two years and hasn’t received a event since 2019, a record-breaking spherical undeniably had extra significance.
“It is positively been lengthy and hard,” Fowler stated. “Lots longer being in that scenario than you’d ever wish to. Nevertheless it makes it so value it having gone by that and being again the place we are actually.”
