Strap on the high tops, pull up the elastic-bottom pants.
It was go-time for Rickie Fowler Thursday and he put on a show in the desert.
Fowler, coming into the Phoenix Open after the disappointment of missing the cut last week in San Diego, got his putter going and the result was a six-under par 65 that earned him a share of the first round lead.
“I was makin’ putts,” Fowler said after his birdie at his final hole of the day, the ninth. “Couldn’t get anything going last week. The game’s been great, nice to be back makin’ some.”
Fowler started his putting streak with a birdie at the 10th, his opening hole then he drained one from 36-feet at the par three 12th. It was a crazy nine that saw him make just two pars. He had an eagle at the par five 15th where he drained one from 27 feet. He went out in 32 then settled down with a quieter final nine where he made seven pars and a pair of birdies for his 65.
Fowler made his way around the TPC Scottsdale wearing his new trademark high-top golf shoes with the pulled-up elastic-bottom pants.
A more traditionally-dressed Shane Lowry tied him and the Irishman’s story was similar to Fowler’s. “I holed some putts, made three or four outside 20 feet,” said Lowry, who is playing in the event for the first time. “Amazing,” he observed. “Sixteen looks like a football stadium.”
Late in the afternoon, just before darkness suspended play for the day, Hideki Matsuyama came in at twilight with his own 65 to join Fowler and Lowry.
The first round started with a lot of promise for Arizona State’s favorite golf son — Phil Mickelson — who has won this event three times. Mickelson started out like a ball of fire. At the par five 13th, he hit a hybrid for his second shot within three feet of the cup for an easy eagle and he’d go on to shoot five-under 31 on that nine.
It all came crashing down for Mickelson in a matter of two holes on the front nine. A bogey at the par three fourth started his crash then he took a triple-bogey at the fifth. Lefty managed to salvage the day with a closing birdie at the ninth to post a two-under par 69. There were 23 players in front of him by day’s end.
Defending champion Brooks Koepka got off to a less-than-stellar start. He was one-under for his first nine holes but got it going on his final nine and finished with 67.
Bubba Watson, who has finished runnerup the past two years, opened with 69.
