Rickie Fowler was the U.S. Open’s first alternate in 2022, but would never secure a tee time. The script, though, has completely flipped a year later in Hollywood.
Fowler shares the U.S. Open lead with Wyndham Clark after 54 holes at Los Angeles Country Club.
Though he’s never held the lead past Saturday in a major, the U.S. Open isn’t Fowler’s first rodeo leading after three rounds.
The 34-year-old, prior to this week, has held a 54-hole lead nine times in his PGA Tour career and has converted those leads into victories twice.
As he hopes to make that three times Sunday at LACC in arguably the biggest test he’s faced in his career, let’s take a look at all the times Fowler has held a lead on Tour heading into the final round.
Full-field scores from U.S. Open
2010 Memorial Tournament: In one of the Tour’s marquee events, Fowler, as a 21-year-old, led or shared the lead after each of the first three rounds and entered Sunday with a three-shot lead. But with a 1 over final round, highlighted by a double on the par-3 12th, Fowler finished runner-up to Justin Rose, who won by three strokes.
2011 AT&T National: Fowler, still looking for his first Tour win, was tied for the lead with Nick Watney at 9 under after 54 holes, but disaster struck on Sunday. The then-rising star shot a 4-over 74 and placed T-13 at 5 under. Meanwhile, Watney held on for the victory and finished eight shots ahead of Fowler.
2016 Wells Fargo Championship: Fowler held a one-stroke lead over Roberto Castro heading into Sunday, however, Fowler shot a 2-over 74 in the final round and placed T-4. Fowler’s final-round score was the highest of anyone who finished inside the top 24.
2016 Barclays: With an automatic Ryder Cup spot on the line, Fowler had 55 straight bogey-free holes — the longest in tournament history — and held a one-shot lead over Patrick Reed after three days at Bethpage Black. However, Fowler, wearing his Sunday orange, finished his final three holes double bogey-birdie-bogey and placed T-7 with Jason Kokrak and Ryan Moore.
2017 Honda Classic: Despite bogeys on the 71st and 72nd holes at PGA National, Fowler converted his 54-hole lead into victory for the first time in his career to claim his first win since the 2015 Dell Technologies Championship.
2018 WM Phoenix Open: In his 200th Tour start, Fowler had the lead entering Day 4 by one shot, but carded a final-round 73 to place T-11, six shots behind champion Gary Woodland.
2019 WM Phoenix Open: Revenge for 2018. Fowler began the final round with a four-shot lead and won by two strokes despite recording a double bogey and triple bogey en route to a closing 3-over 74. Fowler Became the first player since 1983 to win with a double bogey and triple bogey or worse in the final round.
2021 CJ Cup: After missing the FedExCup playoffs for the first time in his career, Fowler, a five-time Tour winner, was looking to get off to a fast start in the new season. In Las Vegas, Fowler opened the tournament 66-66-63 to notch the 54-hole lead. However, after a final-round 71, he was overtaken by Rory McIlroy and finished T-3. It was Fowler’s only top-10 finish of the season.
2022 Zozo Championship: Fowler, with a new caddie and swing coach, was looking to end a winless drought that dates back to the 2019 WM Phoenix Open, holding a one-stroke lead over Keegan Bradley after three days in Japan.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been in this situation,” Fowler said after Saturday’s round. “Obviously remember being in those situations before. But no — it will be tough tomorrow.”
A final-round even-par 70, however, left Fowler one stroke shy of Bradley after 72 holes.
2023 U.S. Open: In his first U.S. Open as a father, Fowler opened with a tournament-record 62 (Xander Schauffele matched that feat roughly 30 minutes later). Fowler wasn’t done putting his name in the record book, though. He shot a second-round 2-under 68, which included only four pars, to tie the U.S. Open 36-hole scoring mark set by Martin Kaymer in 2014. In Round 3, the world No. 45, was about to claim a one-stroke lead heading into the final round, before lipping out his par putt on the last to fall into a share of the lead with Clark at 10 under.
Fowler, however, is still in a prime position to notch a career-defining victory after struggling with his game the past few years.
“Bummer to have that one slip away (on No. 18),” Fowler said afterward, “but tomorrow is a whole new day, and like I said, that’s kind of when the tournament really starts.”
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