DUBLIN, Ohio – Rickie Fowler isn’t sweating Monday.
He’s embracing it.
The five-time winner on the PGA Tour and two-time winner on the European Tour has played in the U.S. Open 12 times, including in every staging since 2011. But if he’s going to keep his streak going, he’ll have to survive Golf’s Longest Day, the nickname of the U.S. Golf Association’s final qualifying stage for the national championship at Torrey Pines in San Diego in two weeks.
Fowler, whose world ranking has slipped considerably during a prolonged slump as he made a significant swing change – he fell to No. 122 earlier this year, his lowest rank since 2009 – will play 36 holes in the Columbus, Ohio, final qualifying competition.
There are nine sites spread out through the U.S. to determine the final qualifiers for the 121st edition of the U.S. Open.
Fowler would have needed to finish second or first in the just concluded Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club to forgo the 36-hole marathon – 18 to be played at Brookside Golf and Country Club and 18 at The Lakes Golf Club.
He made a good run, pulling into a tie for sixth early in the final round, before settling for a 2-under-par 70 that left him at 4 under for the tournament and in a tie for 11th. In his last start before the Memorial, he tied for eighth in the PGA Championship. Fowler said he likes where his game is heading.
“It will be a long day. Hopefully we can dodge some rain and storms in the afternoon. Other than that, it’s just about kind of just move forward,” Fowler said. “I did a pretty good job of that this week, a few mistakes. It’s bound to happen at this place. But tomorrow we’re playing at golf courses that are maybe a little less demanding than a place like Muirfield.
“I want to say Monday is a little bit more relaxed than the first round here. It’s a little bit more of a marathon that day. You can say the same thing about a Thursday through Sunday tournament but it’s different. Monday is a little more mellow. You know what you have to do. Not playing well Monday, while it would obviously be a bummer not to be at the U.S. Open, it’s not the end of the world.”
Fowler isn’t the only big name trying to qualify. Joining him in Columbus are four major champions – 2011 PGA winner Keegan Bradley, 2013 PGA winner Jason Dufner, 2011 Masters champion Charl Schwartzel and three-time major winner Padraig Harrington. Five others who have won PGA Tour titles will also be in Columbus – Aaron Baddeley, Charley Hoffman, Rory Sabbatini, David Lingmerth and Chez Reavie.
Fowler did not qualify for this year’s Masters, the first major he missed the 2010 U.S. Open. He has 12 top-10s in majors. Fowler did qualify for the U.S. Open in 2008 and 2009 and didn’t qualify in 2010. But he did caddie for Mark Wahlberg in the 2010 U.S. Open Challenge at Pebble Beach, when pro golfers caddied for celebrities and stars from other sports.
He has played and qualified on both courses in Columbus and likes the layouts.
“Walking 36 holes is a bit of a grind; playing 36 holes at home in a cart is easy,” Fowler said. “But the courses aren’t full-on PGA Tour conditions. It’s an easier test. Just don’t go out there and trip over your shoelaces.
“It’s a day where you don’t have to go and play great. It’s about not making many mistakes. You go shoot 7, 8, 9 under for the two rounds, that usually is about good enough. They are courses that are scorable, but it’s more stay out of trouble and keep moving forward.”