Norton, MA—Earlier this year a poll of PGA Tour professionals listed Rickie Fowler and Ian Poulter as the two most overrated players in world golf. Fowler sent a clear message earlier this year—winning the Players Championship in dramatic fashion—not long after the poll was made public.
The charismatic 26-year-old golfer with a penchant for colorful clothing followed-up on that big time win with his first serious foreign victory—claiming the Scottish Open at Gullane this past July with a sizzling finish that included a final hole birdie to win the event by one.
Now, with all the talk of a new “big three” in golf with the likes of Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy and Jason Day, Fowler has seen fit to push his credentials ahead—claiming this week’s Deutsche Bank Championship by one-shot over third round leader Henrik Stenson of Sweden.
Fowler’s win elevates him to 5th in the world rankings and 3rd on the Fed-Ex Cup Playoffs.
The win at TPC Boston was a testament to Fowler’s willpower. Rickie trailed by as many three strokes on the back nine and never held the lead until Stenson made a serious blunder with his approach to the water-fronted par-3 16th. His tee shot fluttered in the breeze and came splashing down in a frontal pond. The resulting double-bogey leap-frogged Fowler to the lead and he maintained the margin with two closing pars as Stenson could not birdie either of the final two holes.
