Rest easy Palm Beachers — Rickie Fowler is there to save the week at the Honda Classic.
Yes, wrong drop Rickie (more on that later) will be there at PGA National, there to give this event a boost and it needs one. The Honda is just the first of many “victims” of this new compressed schedule devised by The Sheriff Of Nottingham (aka tour commish Jay Monahan) and his band to henchmen up in Ponte Vedra.
Rest easy folks because Rickie’s just a short drive away. All he need do is roll out of his expansive 14,000 square foot mansion on the Loxahatchee River and make the short drive to the course.
Thanks goodness because two members of the PGA Tour’s Florida Swing really got the shaft on this revised, compressed schedule deal.
There’s been no sign anywhere of the current world’s No. 1, Justin Rose. Who knows what his schedule is these days. Dustin Johnson rose to No. 2 with his win in Mexico and D.J. lives so close to PGA National that he could ride a bike over there in 15 minutes. But no, D.J.’s off this week and that comes as no surprise. Rory McIlroy lives close by as well, over at the Bear’s Club, his new address. Ten minutes by car. No Rory either.
But there’s Rickie and they’re Rickie-crazy in this neck of the woods, heck, they’re Rickie-crazy everywhere. Good news is that Rickie does have some name support this week. Justin Thomas comes in fresh off that closing 62 in Mexico. J.T. says he went out with an “I don’t care” attitude, threw caution to the wind, hit driver everywhere he could hit drive and voila — 62. Perhaps he should throw caution to the wind a little more often. Nice to have you, J.T.
Brooks Koepka has fallen to No. 4 if you call that a fall and he’s good for a few more ticket sales as well.
All things considered, the Honda is okay considering that Bay Hill is next week and it’s something about the name Arnold Palmer that helps the cause in Orlando.
The other poor sister of the Florida Swing is the Valspar and it totally got screwed — week after The Players and week before another WGC event — the match play. They’re still hoping against hope that Tiger Woods will show up but when you consider Tiger’s not even playing in his back yard at the Honda this week, can’t imagine him showing up at Innisbrook after taking on Bay Hill and The Players.
Which brings us back to the Honda where hopefully Rickie has taken 10 minutes to review the new rules changes. Rickie got tagged on the first hole of his second round last Friday in Mexico.
Fowler had shanked his second shot out of bounds on the 10th hole (his first of the round) and when it came time to drop, instead taking the knee-high drop, as the new rules calls for, Fowler held his right arm straight out and dropped his ball from shoulder height. His caddie Joe Skovron missed it, he was digging in the golf bag when Rickie had the brain-fart.
Patrick Reed was in Rickie’s threesome. He said someone mentioned to him that Fowler dropped from shoulder height. Fowler said Reed didn’t say who mentioned it. When Reed mentioned it to Fowler, Fowler knew right away he had screwed up.
“I know I didn’t drop properly, but just going through the natural kind of progression of what you do with the drop, that’s just what you’re used to,” Rickie said afterwards. “I have done that for 30 years. Well, I guess not that long. I started playing at two, so 28. So, yeah, got an extra shot on that.”
Rickie ended up with a triple-bogey seven on that hole. He responded with birdies on the next two holes but finished with a second-round 73.
Then Rickie decided a little whining was in order and gave us this tidbit:
“I think, with the new rules that have been put in place, it’s not doing any favors for our sport. I think it will definitely be changed, We have been making fun of the knee drop for so long that it was ingrained the first time I took a drop this year. Like, ‘This is an iconic moment. I get to drop from my knee and look stupid.’ So, no, like I said, it was on me, but I think it’s a terrible change.”
Note to Rickie: Suck it up, buttercup and go over the rules. It’s not rocket science.
So hopefully, Wrong Drop Rickie gets everything right this week. They need him in the hunt and J.T. along with him.
Yeah, Rickie, you’re there to save the Honda.
Just remember — it’s a knee-height drop.
