AF, Hoylake :
For Rickie Fowler, this is getting downright familiar. For the second time this summer, Fowler played in the final group of a major championship, failed to overcome a big deficit, and settled for the runner-up spot.
This one came with a pretty good consolation prize: the 25-year-old American all but locked up a spot in the Ryder Cup this fall.
“It’s hard to be disappointed about it,” Fowler said Sunday evening, not long after accepting the runner-up plate, “because it was such a great week.”
He certainly didn’t fold, becoming only the third player to shoot four rounds in the 60s and not capture the claret jug.
Fowler saved his best for last, closing Sunday with a 5-under 67 and not one bogey on his card. The 15-under 273 total left him tied with Sergio Garcia, two shots behind winner Rory McIlroy.
“I’ll take 15 under in a lot of majors,” Fowler said. “Congratulations to Rory. He played awesome.”
Fowler played in the final group with Martin Kaymer at last month’s U.S. Open, but was five shots behind at the start of the round. Kaymer stretched it out to an eight-shot victory, not challenged at all by Fowler – or anyone else, for that matter.
This time, Fowler was even farther behind – six shots down when he teed off with McIlroy -but put up more of a fight, especially after the turn. Fowler birdied all three of the par-5s on the back side, as well as the par-3 15th, to at least make the leader sweat a bit.
In fact, Fowler went to the 18th green with an eagle putt, while McIlroy put his second shot into a pot bunker.
