Perhaps we should all be very surprised that Rickie Fowler posted an opening round 65 at the RBC Heritage on Thursday.
Fowler is sitting in a tie for fourth after one round of the RBC Heritage, two shots adrift of the leader, Ludvig Aberg.
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The 37-year-old American carded seven birdies and a bogey during his round of six-under-par 65 at Harbour Town Golf Links on Thursday.
Fowler is one of the most popular players on the PGA Tour, so his opening round at the RBC Heritage was well-received by golf fans the world over.
After missing out on The Masters last week, Fowler is even more motivated to rediscover his very best form.
His opening round 65 in South Carolina on Thursday was the reward for all the hard work he has been putting in.
The number of balls Rickie Fowler hit on the range before the RBC Heritage
The six-time PGA Tour winner spoke to reporters after his opening round on Hilton Head Island on Thursday.
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Fowler responded when asked how many balls he thought he hit during the week ahead of the RBC Heritage.
“I wasn’t counting,” Fowler said.
Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images
He was then asked to take a wild guess.
“Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, 310,“ the American estimated, before being told that the number was actually 561.
“Okay. Compared to what I normally hit, that would be significantly more. But I needed a little extra time.“
Hitting 561 balls during the three days before a tournament starts is not usually a good sign for any professional golfer.
So the fact that Fowler shot a round of 65 on day one of the RBC Heritage really was a huge surprise.
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What Rickie Fowler was working on ahead of the RBC Heritage
Fowler was asked if he was looking for a specific feel out on the range this week.
“I was looking for that,“ he admitted.
“Yeah, I knew there was a lot of stuff that was in a good spot. I obviously sent some videos to Butch.
“Some of it was just getting in a spot where I was comfortable and being able to continue the body to move and get the face square at contact. Yeah, so some of it is just a trust thing and in the head, which can be tough at times.
“Yeah, I think a big part today was going into warm-up, trying to kind of slow things down, get into a little better rhythm, getting things to sync up a bit more. So that was a big help. But yeah, needed a little extra time to get to that point.“
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Whatever Rickie Fowler found in the build-up to the RBC Heritage clearly worked on day one at Harbour Town.
And long may that continue. The PGA Tour is better off when Fowler is contending to win tournaments.
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