NAPA, Calif. — Rickie Fowler started his fifteenth skilled season Thursday. From golf equipment to teach to caddie, nearly every part is new for the five-time PGA Tour winner.
Fowler, whose final victory was the 2019 Waste Administration Phoenix Open, loved speedy success.
He shot a 5-under 67 and was amongst 9 gamers who completed their rounds 4 photographs behind chief Justin Decrease on the Fortinet Championship.
Decrease, starting his second PGA Tour season, concluded his career-low, 9-under 63 within the early night at Silverado Resort and Spa. He held a 2-shot cushion over defending champion Max Homa and a 3-shot lead over Byeong Hun An, Seonghyeon Kim and J.J. Spaun on the fog-delayed PGA Tour season opener.
Decrease, whose career-best end in 28 PGA Tour begins relationship to 2013 was a tie for eighth in July on the Barbasol Championship, had a bogey-free spherical.
“I am going to take it. I birdied half the holes, in order that’s all the time a superb begin, I suppose,” Decrease mentioned. “I am actually simply joyful to be within the place I’m having I suppose, full standing.”
Homa, ending simply earlier than play was known as due to darkness, birdied two of the final three holes for his 65.
Fowler, who had a bogey-free spherical, has solely 4 top-10 finishes previously three seasons. He just lately started utilizing a brand new putter and this week can be utilizing a brand new set of irons.
As soon as ranked as excessive as No. 4 on the planet, Fowler is now 176th. Along with his new golf equipment, Fowler hopes to rekindle his profession with the help of a brand new caddie and new coach.
On the bag is buddy and veteran PGA Tour caddie Ricky Romano. Butch Harmon, who has labored with Fowler previously, changed John Tillery, who was Fowler’s swing coach for the previous three years.
“Yeah, I all the time prefer it when there is a bogey-free spherical in there,” Fowler mentioned. “For essentially the most half, there wasn’t a problem at this time aside from having to make a 15-footer after I hit it into the bunker. Apart from that, it was a reasonably easy day.”
An, a three-time PGA Tour runner-up who regained his card by way of the Korn Ferry Tour, had seven birdies and one bogey en path to his 66.
Kim, a PGA Tour rookie, had eight birdies and two bogeys within the opening spherical of the PGA Tour’s new season — its ultimate time utilizing a wraparound schedule.
Two teams have been on the course Thursday morning when play was suspended for 90 minutes due to fog. There have been 35 gamers left on the course when darkness halted play at 7:20 p.m. PT. Amongst these, Robby Shelton had the perfect spherical going at 5 underneath by 13 holes. The primary spherical was to renew Friday morning.
Fowler missed the FedExCup playoffs for the primary time in his profession in 2021. He acquired into the primary playoff occasion this previous season, the FedEx St. Jude Championship in August, however didn’t advance.
“I’ve had some good weeks previously few years, however it should not simply be a couple of weeks in these years, there must be extra,” Fowler mentioned. “I am simply making an attempt to get to be extra constant.”
Greyson Sigg, Nick Taylor, Sahith Theegala, Scott Harrington, Matti Schmid, Emiliano Grillo, Sung Kang and Brice Garnett all matched Fowler’s 67. Grillo received the occasion in 2015 and had two runner-up finishes final season.
Fowler hadn’t performed within the occasion since 2010 when it was performed at CordeValle.
“Properly, not going to the playoffs and never being on a Presidents Cup staff, that is been actually the one cause I have not been to Napa but,” Fowler mentioned. “I’ve all the time heard good issues in regards to the occasion, so to not say due to unhealthy play or something, however that is sort of the explanation we’re capable of be right here this week.”
Fowler was happy along with his general play, significantly off the tee.
“I set the spherical up by driving it pretty properly, particularly the second half of the day,” Fowler mentioned. “And I used to be simply capable of hold transferring ahead. There weren’t many instances the place I needed to play too defensively.”
Matt Kuchar, whose 2019 win on the Sony Open was the final of his 9 PGA Tour titles, was amongst a number of gamers at 4 underneath.
