By Christine Brennan, USA TODAY
SANDWICH, England � The British Open roared to life Saturday, and Rickie Fowler came along with it. He said he couldn't have been happier to face a howling wind, with rain drops dripping off his funky Puma cap. He felt right at home. It reminded him of a Big 12 men's golf championship when he played for Oklahoma State.
By Ross Kinnaird, Getty Images
Rickie Fowler of the USA acknowledges the cheers on the 18th hole on Saturday at the British Open. Fowler shot a 2-under 68 and is tied for third heading into the final round.
By Ross Kinnaird, Getty Images
Rickie Fowler of the USA acknowledges the cheers on the 18th hole on Saturday at the British Open. Fowler shot a 2-under 68 and is tied for third heading into the final round.
"I had quite a bit of fun out there today," he said. "I love links golf. I love the variety and the options you get on the course. There's so many ways you can play one shot, and I feel like I can hit different shots and I like to hit different shots, and it's just the way I grew up learning how to play the game. When I'm given those opportunities, it's just fun for me. There's so many ways to play one course, and it's rare that the course plays the same way on a four-day tournament."
And how. Royal St. George's didn't even play the same way from the time Fowler teed off at 12:35 p.m. to the time he finished a little more than four hours later. And it changed again from the time he left the 18th green until the last of the field finished the third round in brilliant sunshine two and a half hours later.
It almost didn't seem fair that players like Fowler and those who teed off before him faced some of the worst conditions in memory, while others were fortunate enough to play an entirely different, easier golf course.
But then you look at the scores, and see that Fowler's 2-under-par 68 tied for the lowest of the day with fellow American Dustin Johnson, who teed off one hour and 40 minutes later, the lucky guy.
And that's why Fowler said he had so much fun. Playing in the worst of it until he made the turn, and still finding no walk in the park from then on, he played the best golf of anyone (other than Johnson) in the third round of the Open.
Which leads to the question: what can he do on equal footing playing in the second-to-last group Sunday, behind leader Darren Clarke at 5-under and Johnson at 4-under, and tied for third with Thomas Bjorn at 2 under?
"You have to kind of embrace where you're at and what's in front of you, and for the most part, my caddie and I were trying to go out and keep moving forward and stay positive," he said. "We knew it was going to play hard and we knew it was going to be tough to make any birdies out there today. But when you make the best of it and go at it with the right attitude, 68 is possible. But I had to play pretty well to do that."
Before Fowler went on the course, his caddie watched on TV as Tom Watson was in the midst of an impressive 2-over 72 in the worst of the conditions. He told Fowler about it.
"He just saw kind of how he looked like he was having fun, smiling, and embracing the conditions," Fowler said.
If that strategy was good enough for five-time British Open winner Watson, Fowler figured it was good enough for him.
"You know, the best way to deal with tough and hard conditions is just go out and try and make a good time of it," Fowler said. "So starting the round, we just wanted to keep moving forward, have fun hitting golf shots."
Fowler, 22, who has never won a professional tournament, much less a major, started at even par Saturday and promptly bogeyed the second hole. But he came back to make a birdie from 15 feet on No. 5 to get back to even. As the skies brightened and the driving rain mercifully let up, he bogeyed No. 11 ? but answered a few holes later with three birdies in a four-hole stretch before parring 17 and 18.
"For the situation, the tournament and where I'm at in my career, these were probably the worst conditions I've played in, and the best I've played in those conditions," he said.
This is just Fowler's seventh major. He has not had a top-10 finish yet; his best is tying for 14th at last year's British Open.
He turned pro only in 2009 and this is just his 53rd tournament as a professional. But in a way, he can't help but feel a bit behind already. Rory McIlroy, who is five months younger than Fowler, has been more successful than he has, of course winning the U.S. Open last month.
"It was a lot of fun to watch him," Fowler said. "It definitely motivated me and gave me more confidence just because obviously, similar age, similar part of our career. I'd say he's a step ahead of me. He's got a couple wins and a major under his belt. But like I said, it definitely motivated me, and it was fun to see what he did there."
Fowler has played with McIlroy all three days of this Open, and put some distance between himself and his friendly rival Saturday. McIlroy had his troubles and shot 4-over 74.
Fowler has never been this close to the lead in a major after the third round. But he did face withering pressure in last year's Ryder Cup, where he was three down with three holes to play against Italy's Edoardo Molinari. With U.S. captain Corey Pavin arriving on the scene to tell him how vital his match was, he sank a couple of dramatic putts to halve the match.
"That's probably one I'm going to draw on for the rest of my life," Fowler said. "Although it was only to halve the match, I was four down with not very many holes to play and three down with three to play. I hit some great shots under the conditions and made two good putts on 17 and 18. How calm I felt there will definitely help me draw off that experience and hopefully go into tomorrow and be as calm as I was there."
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