AUSTIN (Texas) — Rickie Fowler stated that he doesn’t like pool play at WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. He also admitted that he traveled to Texas as a way to get back into Augusta National’s field in just two weeks.
Fowler must be pleased with the gift basket that he received Wednesday at Austin Country Club’s first round.
Fowler was ranked 59th worldwide and needed a strong showing to get back in the top 50 and earn an automatic berth into The Masters. He made a bogey at the first hole and fell behind. He seized the opportunity to become world No. 2 Jon Rahm puttered on the back nine. Fowler defeated Rahm, 2 to 1, to secure a solid place in the knockout stage.
“Jon had some difficulties today. He is a good friend of mine and we have a lot of fun together. Fowler stated that it wasn’t normal Jon Rahm. It was not what I expected to face. “We both struggled on the greens. He just happened to hit it a bit better today than me. This is match play. You never know what you might get.
“In golf, anyone can beat anyone. This week, it was especially true with the guys out here. It was a great feeling to be the winner. Jon is going to be a tough opponent in the next two matches. “I have to take care on my own business.”
WGC–Dell Match Play Photos
Rahm, who stated on Tuesday that would return to any future event, even if it is non-elevated. He reached the finals of the 2017 match-play event in Austin, before being defeated by then-No. 1 Dustin Johnson.
He’ll have to work hard to get out of pool play after losing to Fowler. Keith Mitchell will face the Spaniard, who beat Billy Horschel in their first match.
Fowler, who is a four-time top-15 finisher in his eight previous starts, stated that the battle started on Wednesday when he ran into Rahm in the gym.
Fowler was fashion-conscious, so the stakes were immediately high.
“I was finishing my warmup, and he was coming into to start his. We were both wearing all black. Fowler stated that we started to match and that he joked about whether we were actually matching today. “I was like, well I have a tropical, floral shirt. And he’s like I do too. I was like, my shirt is black. He was like, “All right, my is white.”
“So, the battle started early.”
