Rickie Fowler has struggled the last few seasons, but might be ready to become a winner again.
Fowler, a five-time winner on the PGA Tour, got hot down the stretch and shot eight-under-par 64 to take a one-stroke lead over Adam Hadwin of Canada heading to the final round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club in Detroit, Wayne County, Mich.
Play was suspended for 1 hour, 42 minutes because of lightning in the area early in the round and the schedule for the final round moved up in the hopes of completing the final round ahead of inclement weather called for later in the day.
“I’m not scared to fail,” said Fowler, whose last victory came in the Waste Management Phoenix Open and has finished in the top 15 in eight of this last nine events. “I’ve dealt with plenty of that. Felt really good Sunday last week and just didn’t get anything going, didn’t get anything out of it. On Sunday at the U.S. Open, my timing got a little off.
“Whether it happens on Sunday or not, it’s going to happen here soon. I’ve been playing a lot of really good golf and been putting myself in good positions. This definitely won’t be the last time I’m contending to win, and will win at some point.
“This definitely won’t be the last time.”
Fowler, from Murietta in Southern California, took the lead late in the day by making six birdies on the last eight holes to complete his round of nine birdies against a single bogey at No. 10 while recording a 54-hole score of 20-under-par 196.
Hadwin, whose only victory on the PGA Tour came in the 2017 Valspar Championship, posted a flawless, bogey-free, nine-under-par 63 that was the low score of the round and tied the tournament record.
“One of the hardest things in golf is to get out of your own way when things are going well,” said Hadwin, who is trying to become the fifth Canadian to win on the PGA Tour this season. “I’ve been victim of that in the past.
“One of the hardest things in golf is to get out of your own way when things are going well. I’ve been victim of that. I certainly don’t want to be left behind. It’s a pretty fun leaderboard right now with Taylor (Pendrith) and me the top of the leaderboard on Canada Day.”
If Hadwin or Pendrith win the Rocket Mortgage Classic, it will mark the first time in five-plus seasons that players from a country outside the U.S. won on the PGA Tour in one season since six Australians earned titles during the 2013-14 season.
Pendrith, the second-round co-leader, made two late birdies and seven altogether in a 67 and is two shots behind in solo third, while Peter Kuest, who was tied for the led after an opening 64, sank a five-foot eagle putt at No. 14 in a 65 and is three down in a tie for fourth with Aaron Rai of England, who mad a 12-foot eagle putt at No. 7 and birdied the last hole for a 66.
Two-time major champion Collin Morikawa of La Canada Flintridge and Cal holed out for an eagle from 84 yards on the seventh hole and added three birdies in s bogey-free 67 and is four strokes back in a tie for sixth with Carl Yuan of China, who sank an 18-foot eagle putt at No. 7 in his 64; Dylan Wu, who birdied the first five holes in a 66; Justin Lower, who carded a bogey-free 67, and Taylor Moore, who was tied for the lead after each of the first two rounds and made a 21-foot eagle putt on the second hole in a 69.
Cam Davis of Australia, who won the 2021 Rocket Mortgage Classic, is tied for 17th after a 69, while Keegan Bradley, who won the Travelers Championship last week, posted another 69 and is tied for 26th, ninth-ranked Max Homa of Valencia and Cal is tied for 30th after yet another 69, and two-time major champion Zach Johnson carded a bogey-free 68 and is tied for 51st.
For complete results and final-round tee times, visit: https://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard
