Rickie Fowler didn't get the gold medal today at the golf tournament with the worst name in the game: The Waste Management Phoenix Open, in Scottsdale, Ariz. Okay, no gold medal was on offer, but you know what's meant. The exciting 21-year-old Californian finished second, a shot behind Hunter Mahan, who is all of 27 and whose swing coach is Canadian Sean Foley.
Now, maybe it's not right to write about the second-place winner rather than the champion. But look, silver isn't bad, and Fowler could be on his way to being great. He played in the same tournament last year, as an amateur, turned pro later in 2009, and tied for seventh and then tied for second in his next tournament. He was in a three-way playoff then, at the Frys.com Open in Scottsdale. Troy Matteson got him there.
But you have the feeling Fowler's time as a winner is coming. And if and when it does, watch out: Golf will have a young player who is bound to be very popular. Heck, he already is. The guy plays fast, he swings hard, and he doesn't seem to have much fear in him.
Wait, though. How can this be the case if Fowler laid up on the par- five 15th hole at the Grayhawk course today when he was fighting for the lead? He had only 230 yards to the green, 210 to carry the water.
He laid up to 82 yards from the hole. The stats sheet shows that 246 golfers went for the green during the tournament, and only 74 made it.
Not exactly a high percentage.
Fowler, then, made a percentage play. Yes, he lay up. Yes, he laid up.
That's all Golf Channel people seemed to want to talk about as the tournament wound down, especially after Fowler didn't birdie the hole after electing not to go for the island green on his second shot. He didn't birdie any of the last three holes. He needed one birdie to tie Mahan, but couldn't get it.
"I felt that instead of bringing trouble into play…I took the safe route," Fowler said of his decision to take the water around the green out of play by laying up.
So was that a lame move? Is he indeed a young man without fear, the right amount of fear, or too much fear or anxiety to be an authentic big deal on the PGA Tour? We'll see.
But here's one question worth pondering: Why should a golfer go for a shot if he's not comfortable with it? Why should he take a chance and perhaps lose any chance to win, when he has three more holes to play?
Meanwhile, follow Fowler. One of his many impressive qualities is that he plays fast, very fast. He started riding motorcycles when he was three years old. He rarely hits balls after a round. He trusts his instincts. The Golf Channel folks felt he channels Lanny Wadkins, who played "see it, feel it, hit it" golf. In a pro golf world where many players can be overly analytical, Fowler reacts. He stands up and he hits the shot.
So on balance, let's give him a pass on that lay-up shot down the stretch. Let's see what he's made of. Fowler is only beginning his PGA Tour career. It should be a good one, maybe a great one.