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Rickie Fowler may have come up short in his quest to win the first major of his career at the U.S. Open following his record-breaking round at Los Angeles Country Club, but the 34-year-old fan favorite has stepped up his game in a big way over the course of the current PGA Tour season.
The golfer who turned pro in 2009 hasn’t earned a victory on the PGA Tour since he bested the field at the Waste Management Open in 2019, but he’s secured seven Top 10 finishes during the current campaign and currently occupies the 17th spot in the FedEx Cup rankings after seemingly finding his game again following a rough couple of years.
Fowler got the chance to keep the momentum going when he arrived at Detroit Golf Club for this week’s Rocket Mortgage Classic, and he got off to a pretty solid start with the five-under 67 he posted in his first round on Thursday.
That included a back nine (which he played on the front nine) where he recorded four birdies before heading into the clubhouse after posting a bogey on the final hole, and based on what he had to say at a press conference following the round, he may have been dealing with a distraction most golfers can probably relate to all too well.
Did a case of the bubble guts contribute to Rickie Fowler's bogey-bogey finish? 🧐💩 pic.twitter.com/hYPybPO1ni
— Betsperts Golf (@BetspertsGolf) June 29, 2023
Here’s what he had to say:
“To be perfectly honest, I had to go to the bathroom pretty badly. Luckily, I just got drug-tested, so I went straight in.
There weren’t many bathrooms the last five holes, so I was a little shaky heading in. Not to necessarily blame the finish on that, but it didn’t help.”
While most golfers would’ve simply wandered into the woods to find a bush or tree where they could take care of business, that’s a bit harder to do when you’re playing in a televised tournament with thousands of fans in attendance.
At least he managed to find a bathroom when everything was said and done.