Fowler in position to win on Mother’s Day for 2nd year in a row
Rickie Fowler is in position to successfully defend his title as Ultimate Son.
With a third round of 4-under 68, Fowler leads the Wells Fargo Championship heading into Sunday’s final round, sitting at 9-under 207 and one clear of Roberto Castro. Fowler is two clear of former Riviera winner James Hahn and 2013 U.S. Open champion Justin Rose.
The Oklahoma State product made his charge to the top of the leaderboard in the final five holes, making three birdies before a pair of pars to finish his round. That run all began with driving the 345-yard 14th hole, leading to a two-putt birdie. He almost reached the par-5 15th in two, leading to a simple up-and-down for birdie. Then on the 16th, Fowler made a 27-foot birdie putt, showing length isn’t always the key to his scoring.
A year ago, Fowler won The Players Championship on Mother’s Day, playing the final six holes of regulation in 6 under par, then, after a three-hole playoff, making birdie on the par-3 17th at TPC Sawgrass for the third time on Sunday to secure the win in the first hole of sudden death.
If any player on the PGA Tour feels comfortable with a one-shot lead and a tight-knit leaderboard, it might well be Fowler, whose five worldwide professional wins were all either clinched in a playoff or decided by a shot.
“I’m comfortable playing whether it’s out front, behind, whatever it may be,” he said. “I’ve won from all areas now. I’m just looking forward to getting back out there tomorrow. Like I said, with the way it’s been going, the game’s even going to be better tomorrow and should be fun.”
Fowler is seeking a second win at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, the site of his first PGA Tour victory in 2012. If he’s going to do that, he knows he’ll have to play from the fairway and maintain his pace on the very fast putting surfaces.
“It’s just tough with the wind. You get down wind, down grain, you can putt it off pretty quickly. It’s a fine line,” Fowler said. “You’re not going to be able to play this golf course out of the rough tomorrow.”
Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.
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