By Christopher Powers
Don’t adjust your glasses or rub your eyes out, folks. It’s not 2017. It’s 2021, and Rickie Fowler—yes, THE Rickie Fowler—is tied for the lead in a PGA Tour event.

Fresh off a final-round 65 at the Open Championship, Fowler brought some positive momentum back home to the U.S., shooting an opening-round seven-under 64 Thursday at the 3M Open. It marks the first time Fowler has shot consecutive rounds of 65 or better on the PGA Tour since the first and second round of the 2020 American Express, where he tied for 10th. Since then, he’s posted one top-10 on tour, a T-8 at the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island.

“Coming off Sunday at The Open, a lot of good stuff there, drove it a lot better,” said Fowler, a five-time tour winner. “That was something that was kind of holding me back from making birdies, moving forward last week. I drove it very poorly Friday and Saturday. It was not my driver’s fault.”

Fowler hit 10 of 14 fairways in the first round at TPC Twin Cities and gained just under 0.8 strokes off the tee. Where he really improved though, and has been improving for some time now, was on the greens. Formerly a wizard with the flat stick, Fowler’s putting stats took a noticeable dip during his prolonged slump. On Thursday, though, he finished second in the field in strokes gained/putting, gaining 4.234 on the day.

“It wasn’t that putting wasn’t getting the attention,” Fowler said. “There’s time where you go, kind of get hot and cold, and I was in too long of a cold spell. And putting’s something I’ve always been able to rely on. I felt like I was hitting good putts, sometimes it was either a little bit off on the read or speed was a little off. There’s so many variables out there. Trying to eliminate as much as possible and think more about making it and not focusing too much about [being] on line and stuff like that. I’ve been hitting good putts, but it’s nice to see the result of the ball disappearing or not lipping out or sliding on by.”

It’s only Thursday, yes, but for one day, Rickie Fowler—and his putter—looked like Rickie Fowler again. Which leaves him tied for lead, another rather large baby step in his comeback process.

David Berding

Dustin Johnson starts slow, remains as unfazed as ever
Despite some Saturday struggles, Dustin Johnson came out of the Open Championship feeling very good about his game, a scary thought for the rest of the tour as we close in on the FedEx Cup Playoffs, where DJ feasts. Even after a slow start at the 3M Open—and by slow we mean one-under 70—he still feels good, another scary sign that he’s close to another late-season explosion.

“I played really good,” Johnson said. “Did not roll the putter very well, especially through the first 16 holes. I did make two putts there on 8 and 9, which was 17 and 18 [for me], but other than that I didn’t make anything. Other than that, yeah, I’m hitting it very well, just need to tighten up the putter a little bit.”

Johnson was without his full-time caddie and brother Austin, who is out after a positive COVID-19 test. Surprise, surprise, that didn’t faze him much, either. “He’s doing fine,” Johnson said. “He’ll be fine for Memphis, my next tournament.” All is right in DJ’s world, even when things are slightly off.

David Berding

Louis Oosthuizen’s quick bounce back
Credit to Louie O for even showing up this week. He could have easily hopped on the tractor for the next two weeks and hid out for a while. But this man is now in the thick of a FedEx Cup race, a race that features a very large prize at the end that could buy you a LOT of tractors.

Extra credit, then, for Oosty going out and playing well again Thursday, opening with a three-under 68 at TPC Twin Cities. The South African is scalding hot right now, having posted eight finishes of T-11 or better in his last 11 starts. Why not keep playing? Ride the hot hand, especially at ninth in the FedEx Cup standings. Oosthuizen has all but locked up a spot in the Tour Championship, and the better he plays, the bigger chance he has of winning the whole shebang. Wouldn’t that be something, though, Louie winning the FedEx Cup (while sporting a UPS logo, mind you) and NOT winning his second major.

David Berding

Troy Merritt continues to COOK
After a really nice mid-summer run, Troy Merritt appeared to hit a snag his last two starts, going MC-MC at the John Deere and the Open Championship. But Thursday, Merritt looked like the same guy that took Cameron Davis to the fifth sudden-death playoff hole at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. His first-round 64 ties him for the lead with Fowler.

“I’ve seen this golf course now for about 20 years,” said Merritt, who was born in Iowa but moved to Minnesota when he was in high school. “Came to watch the seniors play when I was in high school and got to play it once or twice. It’s just a lot of fun. It’s great for the players, it’s great for the fans, you can make a lot of birdies, the scoring’s usually really low. So if you like shootouts, this is the golf course for you and you’re going to get another one this week.”

If anybody loves a shootout, it’s Merritt, whose two PGA Tour wins have come at 18 under and 23 under. Man’s not afraid to go low.

“That’s what you’ve got to do around this place, you’ve got to make a lot of birdies and try to avoid the little mistakes that aggravate you and we were able to do that today for the most part.”

The post Rickie Fowler (THE Rickie Fowler) tied for lead, DJ’s slow start and Oosthuizen’s quick bounce back appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Christopher Powers
We hate to do this. Apologies in advance to Joaquin Niemann, but he is bogey-free through 54 holes, and us telling you that is the golf version of saying “[insert pitcher] is perfect through seven innings.” JINX! There, did it for you.

Should Niemann remain bogey-free for the duration of the tournament, AND win the tournament, he would become just the third player in PGA Tour history to win a 72-hole event without a bogey. The first to do it was Lee Trevino at the 1974 Greater New Orleans Open, and he remained the only one to do it until the 2019 Wyndham Championship, which J.T. Poston won with four squeaky clean scorecards. Not only is Niemann playing for history, he’s playing to exorcise some serious second-place demons. Since his lone tour victory at the 2019 Greenbrier, Niemann has five top-5s on tour, including a pair of runner-ups, which both came during the Hawaii swing in 2021. He’s had only one top-10 since, which came at the Valspar Championship.

Is Sunday life or death for the 22-year-old? Absolutely not. He has plenty of wins in his future, and currently sits inside the top 30 in both the Official World Golf Ranking and FedEx Cup standings. He’ll be just fine, win or lose, but a history-making second tour win would certainly be a nice one for his soon-to-be full trophy room.

Gregory Shamus
Troy Merritt reacts to a hole-in-one on the 11th tee during the third round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

Hole-in-one hangover?
It sounds like an absurd question: Can a hole-in-one be bad? In Troy Merritt’s case, though, it’s a very legitimate one.

Early on moving day at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, there was no bigger mover than Merritt. The two-time tour winner was four-under through seven holes, which put him at 13 under for the week and in the solo lead. A few holes later, after lipping out for birdie at the 10th, Merritt aced the par-3 11th, his first-career hole-in-one. He led by three, and, at that point, looked like he could run away and hide.

Merritt did not, in fact, run away and hide, instead coming back to the pack, setting up some potential Sunday fireworks with a bunched leader board. The Iowa native bogeyed the very next hole after his ace, then managed to make six straight pars to close out his round despite some shaky ball-striking. His five-under 67 puts him in a tie for the 54-hole lead at 14 under, which is the good news. The bad news? He had a prime chance to give himself some breathing room.

What we’re saying is … yes, the hole-in-one might have actually been bad, which is really crazy considering he almost made one at the par-3 fifth, too. Again, it’s not all bad though. He’s in prime position for career win No. 3, and he’s got to buy everyone drinks tonight, which is bad for the wallet but good for the karma.

Nic Antaya
Hank Lebioda chips onto the sixth hole during the third round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

Sunday is a very big day for some
For a few names near the leaders, Sunday is a massive day, and these few wouldn’t even need to win to make it a season-changing day, though they’d be happy to do so. We’ll start with Hank Lebioda, whose third-round 66 has him just one off the lead, in legitimate contention to win. But, hey, why not a T-2 or T-3? That would be crucial for this visor swag lefty, who came into the week at 114th in the FedEx Cup standings. As of now, he’s projected to move to 81st, a position that would make him feel more than safe to reach the playoffs at season’s end. Lebioda, who became a full PGA Tour member in 2019, did not advance to the playoffs in each of the previous two seasons. So, yeah, Sunday is pretty big. It could also be his second straight top 5 on tour, which would be a career-first.

And then there’s England’s Tom Lewis, who sits three off the lead at 11 under. Lewis, unlike Lebioda, has made the postseason before (2020), but failed to advance past The Northern Trust, He’s currently 161st in the standings, and is projected to jump to 139th. Not a massive leap, but that would get him much closer to the top 125, not to mention he could improve thay position with a low round on Sunday. Big things were expected from the Englishman when he was low am at the 2011 Open Championship, but he’s had just two European Tour wins, a pair of PGA Tour top-10s and little success in the majors in the decade since. Sunday could go a long way in changing that.

Nic Antaya
Rickie Fowler plays his shot on the third hole during the third round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

This tournament is extremely up for grabs
Given the fact both Merritt and Niemann have winning experience and the ability to make a bunch of birdies, they could prove to be a tough final pairing to catch. But, this course is ripe for a 62 or 63, and there are plenty of dudes capable of exactly that creeping on the leader board. Cam Davis (-13) eats par 5s for breakfast, Brandon Hagy (-12) can overpower this course with his insane distance, Jason Kokrak (-11) is looking for win No. 3 on the year, which would suddenly make his Ryder Cup case go from “ehh, maybe” to “yes, absolutely.” Then there’s Kevin Kisner (-11), who could putt his way to victory, in addition to tour winenrs Chris Kirk (-11) and Pat Perez (-11), who are both looking to end victory droughts. Sungjae Im (-10), Rickie Fowler (-9) and Keegan Bradley (-9) are doing some serious lurking, too. Expect some chaos on Sunday in Detroit, which could be a tough scene for those holding on to a Merritt 100-1 ticket (*slowly raises hand* … *dies inside*).

The post Niemann’s chance at history, hole-in-one stunts Merritt’s momentum, and why Sunday is so big for some appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Dave Shedloski
DETROIT—Troy Merritt didn’t lose his mind after his first career hole-in-one on the PGA Tour, even if some around him—especially some young fans standing beside the 11th tee box—were having trouble containing their excitement.

But what he did lose was momentum. His ace on the 218-yard par-3 11th hole at Detroit Golf Club gave him a brief three-shot lead in the Rocket Mortgage Classic. But he bogeyed the very next hole and didn’t make another birdie the remainder of the round after making four of them in his first seven holes.

? AN ACE FROM THE LEADER! ?@TroyMerritt_PGA makes his first career hole-in-one and extends his lead to 3 shots. pic.twitter.com/79iJIXLLL4

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 3, 2021

He settled for a five-under 67 and a share of the lead through 54 holes with Joaquin Niemann of Chile. Niemann, the second-round co-leader, had a 68, and the two were tied at 14-under 202 while nine other players are within two strokes.

Niemann, by the way, has yet to make a bogey in the tournament, which probably means he’ll make one on the first hole on Sunday. The last player to submit a clean card in all four rounds was J.T. Poston at the 2019 Wyndham Championship, where he went on to win.

But back to Merritt, ranked 129th in the world, who is seeking his third tour title, his last coming at the 2018 Barbasol Championship opposite the Open Championship. The Boise, Idaho, resident dismissed the idea that he lost focus after his one-hop hole-in-one.

“We had time to settle down before the next tee shot,” said Merritt, who missed his drive into the right rough at the par-4 12th and couldn’t get up and down after coming up well short of the green on his approach. “I’m not going to say that my adrenaline was pumping or that I was feeling anything, you know, off about my driver swing on 12. I just hit a poor shot. And I hit a poor one on 13, but then got it right back in the groove until that one on 18 that I pulled left.”

Merritt, 35, nearly had his first ace six holes earlier when his tee shot into the par-3 fifth hole stopped eight inches short of the hole.

He may have gotten his swing under control coming home, but he created only one birdie look under 30 feet on the last six holes. He scored mere pars at both par 5s, the 14th and 17th. That allowed Niemann to catch up and hold a share of the lead for the second day in a row.

Nevertheless, there’s still the excitement of going for another victory. Since he found a little something in his putting and finished T-8 at the Valspar Championship, Merritt has missed just one cut and added two more top-10s.

Playing with confidence is important. He knows that he can’t let his game stall as it did late Saturday.

“There’s going to be quite a few birdies tomorrow, and we’ve got to make them to keep pace and hopefully slightly ahead of everybody,” he said. “The mindset will be find that fairway first, give ourselves as many looks as we can and keep all the squares off the card.”

The post Ace puts Troy Merritt on track in Detroit for first win in three years appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Joel Beall
Major winners Francesco Molinari and Padraig Harrington have withdrawn from next week’s PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park.

Harrington, who lives in Dublin, Ireland, is dropping out due to COVID-19 concerns, believing travelling to the United States proved too much a threat.

“As COVID-19 currently looks to be under control in Ireland, I am taking the prudent approach by following the guidelines and reducing the risk as much as possible by staying at home,” he said in a statement. Harrington is three-time major winner, which includes a victory at the 2008 PGA Championship at Oakland Hills.

Molinari, who captured the 2018 Open Championship at Carnoustie, has not made a public statement about his decision not to play. The Italian, ranked No. 33 in the world, recently moved from London to California and has not played on any tour since February’s WGC-Mexico Championship.

The duo joins Lee Westwood, Eddie Pepperell, Shugo Imahira and Thomas Pieters as players who have opted out of the San Francisco proceedings, although the field remains strong with 95 of the top 100 suited to compete.

Molinari and Harrington will be replaced in the field by Taylor Gooch and Troy Merritt.

The post PGA Championship 2020: Pair of major winners to skip TPC Harding Park appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Born without his right arm, Hurtubise is one of the amateurs playing on Troy Merritt’s pro-am team. According to a PGA Tour story, Hurtubise plays in the American Express regularly, using his left-arm only to hit drives that regularly travel 230 yards. On Thursday, Hurtubise pulled off what many golfers around the world dream about: Make a hole-in-one … and he did it during a PGA Tour event.

Watch the shot below from the fourth hole at PGA West’s Stadium Course.

Laurent Hurtubise, who was born with one arm, made an ace on Thursday during the American Express. ?pic.twitter.com/9k3W1uthm8

— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) January 17, 2020

Incredible, incredible stuff.

Merritt, himself a three-time PGA Tour winner, said after: “That was the coolest experience I’ve had on the golf course,” Merritt said.

The post Watch this one-armed amateur make a hole-in-one at the American Express appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Joel Beall
Troy Merritt won the Barbasol Championship on July 23. Ten days later, the 32-year-old was in the hospital, undergoing emergency surgery.

Per Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard, Merritt had been experiencing arm pain for the past month. Following last week’s RBC Canadian Open, the two-time tour winner flew to his native Idaho. While at home he received an ultrasound test, which disclosed a blood clot that ran from his chest to biceps. Merritt was promptly scheduled for surgery.

The operation, which lasted two hours, was deemed a success, according to Hoggard.

Amazingly, Merritt still plans on playing in next week’s PGA Championship at Bellerive.

“I plan on making the trip, and see how my body does each day,” Merritt told the Golf Channel. “I’m still planning on teeing it up come Thursday morning, but have not and may not get much practice in before Thursday.”

Merritt said he made need another surgery to remove a rib to prevent further clotting. He will need to receive blood-thinning injections, and his arm remains swollen.

Merritt will be making his third career PGA Championship start and just his fifth major appearance. He is currently 69th in the FedEx Cup standings.

The post Report: Troy Merritt undergoes emergency surgery for blood clot appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Christopher Powers
Three years ago Troy Merritt won the Quicken Loans National in wildly impressive fashion, including carding a third-round, course-record 61 at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club en route to a three-stroke victory over Rickie Fowler. It was his second 61 that season, and Merritt appeared to be the latest talented 20-something poised to make more noise on the PGA Tour for years to come.

That’s not been the case for the now 32-year-old Iowa native, having missed 37 cuts in his 81 starts since his breakthrough at the Quicken Loans. A stretch like that can humble even the most confident of players, but one good round can also have a way of flipping the switch. Merritt came up with that round on Thursday at the Barbasol Championship, tying the course record at Keene Trace Golf Club with a 10-under 62. Four marathon days later, he finished off his second career victory on Monday with a five-under 67, overcoming the weather and a stacked leaderboard that included PGA Tour champions like Billy Horschel and Hunter Mahan.

As his eyes welled up with tears, it was clear how meaningful this second victory was for Merritt, probably because he didn’t know if and when he’d ever get it.

“Man, it’s pretty special,” said Merritt, who finished at 23-under 265 to win by one. “It’s been a few years, I’m sure I’ll have a few emotions in the next 10 minutes, but it’s been a struggle, for not just myself but my family, always cheering me on. Are you going to keep going, keep going? And we’ve prayed hard and the good lord helped us out and I really appreciate him for that, but it’s just been a long time coming.”

Merritt’s win is the latest that highlights just how important this opposite week event has become for players at all different points in their careers. The tournament’s first winner, Scott Piercy, was coming off an injury-plagued season when he won in 2015 for the first time in three years, getting his career back on track. In 2016, Aaron Baddeley won for the first time in five years while playing out of the tour’s past champions category after failing to regain his PGA Tour card. Last year, Grayson Murray broke through for his first win on tour.

For Merritt, the win gets him a two-year exemption on tour as well as a spot in next month’s PGA Championship, where he’ll be making just his fifth start in a major championship. More importantly, it proves to himself he still belongs out there competing against the biggest names in the sport.

“Having played out in Maui (in the Tournament of Champions) back in ‘16 after the Quicken Loans win, I always wanted to get back, I always wanted to start my season there or at least start my year there. To get back there will be special.

“To get to play the PGA at Bellerive in a couple weeks, that’ll be nice. I’ve got some family there north in Iowa that might make the trip down. Just being able to play in those big events with the big names and to be able to compete against them, it’s always very special. Week in and week out we don’t get to see them every week, so when you get the opportunity to tee it up against the big boys you’ve got to relish that opportunity and make the best of it, and now we’ve got a couple more opportunities.”

Three players finished one back at 22-under 266, including Horschel, who had a great look at birdie at the par-3 18th and nearly holed it. His par gave him a five-under 67 and his second finish inside the top 5 this season, not including his team win at the Zurich Classic alongside the aforementioned Piercy. Richy Werenski and Tom Lovelady also had great looks at birdie at 18 that just slipped by the cup. The T-2 is the best finish of the season for both players.

J.T. Poston finished in solo fifth at 21-under 267, and Mahan tied for seventh at 19-under 269, giving him his first top 10 on tour since the 2015 Deutsche Bank Championship.

The post Troy Merritt earns second career PGA Tour win on Monday finish at the Barbasol Championship appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.