Rickie Fowler, in the midst of reviving a golf career once brimming with promise, took a another major step in his journey back to relevance as he held the outright U.S. Open lead after a seesaw second round on Friday.
Fowler has not won a PGA Tour title since 2019 and sank to a career-low 185th in the rankings last September. Yet all along, the Californian has remained one of the game's most popular players due in part to his contemporary fashion sense on the fairways.
But while Fowler's popularity has most often exceeded his performance, he has given renewed hope that a major breakthrough could be on the horizon with a two-day 130 total that tied the lowest 36-hole US Open scoring record set by Martin Kaymer in 2014.
"I'm looking forward to the weekend. It's been a while since I've felt this good in a tournament, let alone a major," said Fowler. "It's going to be a challenge, but I'm definitely looking forward to it."
Fowler may not have been able to replicate his record-setting opening round but returned a two-under-par 68 on Friday to reach 10 under at Los Angeles Country Club with a bizarre scorecard for a leader that featured just four pars.
The 34-year-old, who failed to qualify for the last two editions of the US Open, mixed eight birdies with six bogeys and was a shot clear of Wyndham Clark while Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele were a further shot back.
"Being in the lead is nice, but it really means nothing right now," said Fowler, who also had a share of the first-round lead. "A little different once you get to after 54 holes because that's when things really heat up."
After two consecutive bogeys out of the turn dropped Fowler into a three-way tie for the lead, it seemed like he was running out of magic after a dream start to the week.
But the fan favourite refused to back down and instead went on to deliver a clutch bounceback birdie putt from 23 feet at the par-four 12th to regain the outright lead.
Fowler dropped back into a share of the lead after he failed to get up and down from a greenside bunker at the par-four 16th but again responded in brilliant fashion when he steered home an eight-foot birdie putt at the 17th to move one clear.
From there, Fowler closed with a routine par and walked off the course having set a US Open record with 18 birdies through 36 holes.
Fowler was asked to describe his emotions now that he has emerged from a lengthy period of struggle.
"Definitely appreciation, gratitude, knowing it's a very humbling sport," said Fowler.
"Yeah, and there is some relief that that three years is behind us, but like I said, appreciate the good times because you never know when things are going to go south."
