Amen Corner, the azaleas in full bloom, the pimento cheese sandwich, and the pursuit of golf’s greatest prize -- the green jacket: this time of year is as good as it gets for golf fans -- and non-golf-fans, for that matter.
Whether you casually tune in from major-to-major or have the 2019 FedEx season point totals memorized, golf purists and occasional fans alike can agree that Masters weekend is the Super Bowl of golf.
The Masters is loaded with compelling storylines each year, with 2019 being no exception -- Patrick Reed defending his 2018 title, Rory McIlroy attempting to complete the career Grand Slam by winning his first green jacket. Can Rickie Fowler finally get that long-awaited first Major? How about Tiger trying to win his first Masters since 2005? Will Brooks Koepka continue his hot streak from 2018? Does Jordan Spieth exorcise his recent demons and get back to dominating the tournament the way he did in 2015?
I haven’t even scratched the surface, but you get the idea – you don’t need to know which golfer has the best average strokes gained tee-to-green (it’s Rory Mcllroy if you were wondering) to enjoy this weekend’s tournament. Like any sport, having a rooting interest always makes for a more enjoyable (or stressful) viewing experience.
My rooting interest is simple – I’m cheering for Fowler to finally get his first major.
While I don’t know him personally, from an outsider’s perspective, Fowler comes across as one of the most genuinely likable guys on tour. He’s charismatic, engaging, and seems to have a fun personality to boot.
While that’s all fine and dandy, his striking personality is not going to win him a major. He has to play his best golf for 72 holes.
He’s been so close time and time again, and I feel for the guy having to continuously answer questions about never winning when it matters most.
Here’s why I think Rickie gets it done this weekend:
1) One shot away in 2018: This was a heart-breaker because he lost to the not-so-likable Patrick Reed last year at Augusta. Credit to Reed, he earned the title, but Fowler played great golf on the final day of the tournament - birdying two of the final three holes en route to a 67, and despite Reed winning it all, the moment was not too big for Rickie.
2) Winning performance at the 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open: Fowler already has a tour win to his name in 2019 when he outlasted the competition for the Waste Management Phoenix Open in early February. While he had a sizable lead at one point, Fowler birdied two of the final four holes to preserve the win. He’ll have to be clutch down the stretch again this weekend.
3) Internal Confidence: “I’m more ready than I’ve ever been,” Fowler told reporters on Monday at his news conference at the Augusta National press building. Many will argue that in the game of golf, half the battle is between the ears – and Fowler seems to have that part down. While this self-confidence seems promising, he still has to get out on the course and execute.
The odds of randomly guessing the winner out of the field of 87 golfers isn’t great, but I’m hoping Rickie is the guy grinning from ear to ear wearing that green jacket on Sunday. His odds to do so? 18-1.
Let’s go Rickie!