Fowler credits Mickelson’s Tuesday game in helping him chase down wins
The only way to really learn how to perform under pressure is to get into pressure-packed situations.
Rickie Fowler has faced a lot of those throat-drying moments in the last couple of years, thanks to Phil Mickelson’s tutelage and the Tuesday games he has organized at most events he plays. Over time, Fowler has become more comfortable needing to perform on command with a significant amount of money on the line. This year, especially, that has translated from Tuesdays to Sundays (and Mondays), as Fowler has won three times worldwide, including The Players in May and the Deutsche Bank Championship on Labor Day.
On Wednesday at the BMW Championship, Fowler said that “being in Tuesday games with the guys and Phil where I’ve had to make birdies or go out and make something happen, whether it was in the last couple holes or on a specific hole.”
When the going has gotten tough, Fowler has found a way to win.
At The Players, Fowler played the final six holes of regulation in a stunning and unprecedented 6 under par. That got him into a three-player, three-hole playoff which he played in 1 under. Then, when the playoff whittled down to just two players for a sudden-death fourth hole, Fowler birdied TPC Sawgrass’ par-3 17th for the third time that day to win his biggest title to date and end a three-year winless drought.
In July at the Scottish Open, Fowler birdied three of the final four holes at Gullane, including a stiff approach to the last, to win by one.
Two weeks ago, in a clear match-play situation against Henrik Stenson, Fowler matched birdies time and again with Stenson until the Swede blinked with a double bogey on the 70th hole of the tournament. Fowler won by one.
Now third in the FedEx Cup standings and practically assured a spot in the top five heading into East Lake next week, Fowler is confident he can grab the season-long $10 million prize.
“Last year I put myself in positions to win, and this year I finally took care of business, and I’ve been able to rack up a few trophies,” he said. “I’m very confident in the game and how it’s performed and turned out when I needed it to and in pressure-packed situations and down the stretch. I’m looking forward to the last two weeks of the year and seeing if I can put myself in similar positions. No reason why I can’t continue to win.”
Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.
