Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Rickie Fowler ended his four-year-plus Tour victory drought with a birdie.
Fowler hit one-under par on a playoff hole Sunday to win the 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit.
By beating out American Collin Morikawa and Canadian Adam Hadwin in the playoff, Fowler celebrated his first Tour victory since the 2019 Waste Management Open in Phoenix.
This is his sixth career PGA Tour title and third Tour playoff win, per ESPN Stats and Info.
Golf Central @GolfCentral
Rickie Fowler wins for the first time on Tour since 2019 with this playoff birdie at the Rocket Mortgage Classic:pic.twitter.com/CuUziv6ULn
SportsCenter @SportsCenter
After 1,610 days, Rickie Fowler is a PGA Tour champion again! pic.twitter.com/2x4V33zx5p
During the early stages of Sunday’s final round, it did not look like Fowler would get the chance to return to the top of a PGA Tour leaderboard for the first time in 96 starts.
Fowler birdied six of his final eight holes Saturday to take a one-shot solo lead at 20 under over Hadwin (-19) after 54 holes. Morikawa trailed at 16 under.
Morikawa surged ahead with eight birdies in the final round Sunday, grabbing the lead at 24-under 264 with a birdie on the 17th hole. Hadwin tied him with a birdie on the same hole.
Fowler headed into the final hole up by one stroke but set himself up for a three-foot birdie putt to tie the leaders and force a playoff.
PGA TOUR @PGATOUR
Clutch shot from @RickieFowler!
He has a 3-footer left to force a playoff @RocketClassic. pic.twitter.com/A5CvpZYaBI
Skratch @Skratch
This fan view of that @RickieFowler dart on 18 is delightful. pic.twitter.com/oGgt5pehrs
Golf on CBS ⛳ @GolfonCBS
Rickie DELIVERS ‼️
A birdie on No. 18 lands @RickieFowler a spot in the @RocketClassic playoff
🖥 https://t.co/8mK1oulpPx pic.twitter.com/sacVZhstRc
On his first shot from No. 18 during the playoff round, Fowler hit into the rough but recovered and set himself up for an 11-foot birdie.
He knocked the ball home to finish ahead of Morikawa and Hadwin.
PGA TOUR @PGATOUR
What a shot from @RickieFowler!
He’s left with a 11-footer for birdie @RocketClassic. pic.twitter.com/gnufBYIFIY
Fowler’s win comes after a disappointing ending to the U.S. Open earlier this month, when he set a record for the lowest round in tournament history with an eight-under 62 in Round 1. (That record was matched 22 minutes later by Xander Schauffele.) Fowler held a T1 spot after 54 holes but ended up finishing fifth in the tournament.
Thanks to his comeback in the 18th and his clutch playoff birdie, Fowler finally has his long-awaited sixth Tour win.
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