It’s a deep uphill climb for Rickie Fowler, who slid all the way to 127th in the world rankings. That’s right—earlier this year, he was proudly riding a wave of consensus into the top 25. As the six-time champion has fought to find form since his return, Omloop somehow became an even bigger surprise. That became apparent once he missed the cut at the PGA Championship—despite a respectable outing at the $20-million Truist Championship just a fortnight prior.
27-year-old German Golfer Matti Schmid is making waves on the tour. He’s one of the most determined men in all of motorsports, seeking his first victory in his 79th career start. Having exhibited his full array of touch throughout the tournament, Schmid has played bogey-free and made ten birdies in 24 holes – an impressive tally. He is now tied with Ben Griffin for the second-round lead. Either one would be due a breakout season on the PGA Tour.
Griffin matched Schmid at 11 under. In fact, he carded a staggering 8 birdies on the day, with all but one of them making the short list being from inside ten feet. Despite that opening disaster, he somehow saved par with one of the putts of the day, a 12-footer made from the fringe. Griffin though will be looking to get that elusive first victory. He expressed optimism about his increasing confidence, stating “I’m feeling really good about the process that I’ve been making these last couple of years as I get closer to that first win. Now that I’ve achieved that first win, there’s a certain liberating quality to it. It’s not necessarily about being more aggressive, it’s about having a greater confidence and urgency to get a win. It’s definitely been a breakthrough year, but I think there’s more to come.
Rookie John Pak made a big statement from the start with a 63. He had kept up his stellar play and closed with a 68, including a birdie at the par-4 18th hole. His solid play has him slightly ahead of fellow contender Chris Gotterup.
Given Fowler’s pronounced slump in performance, many have pondered this year what Fowler’s tour future will look like. Since his celebrated win at the Rocket Mortgage Classic two years ago, he’s won just once since then. Though disappointed by this turn of events, Fowler is still bullish on his game. I understand…it was a depressing go-slow last year and depressing go-slow start to the year. And most importantly, my body is beginning to heal! The game is not in a terrible place, but it’s not even close to the place it should be. It’s a fine line out here. Good to see some things starting to fall into place a little bit,” he said positively.
As the tournament progresses, all eyes will be on Schmid and Griffin as they seek their first NCAA titles. At the same time, Fowler wants to get back to his old self. Every mistake counts in this high stakes competitive field. There are a lot of very good players who are ready to take advantage of their chance in the coming rounds.
Leave a Reply