Fowler's tee shot on 17th

[Spear-Chucker]

Poor playing. As a pro he should have realised the adrenaline would be coursing and he would bring the water into play. His wedge play is good enough to make a birdie at most attempts and put the pressure back on the other chap. Who knows what the caddie said but it's Fowler's responsibility to manage his game and he did it poorly in this case. It was a small but damaging error.

Hope he learns from it as he's a likable chap with some superb all round skills and a tenacious side I rather admire. Needs to avoid mistakes like this if he wants to win some serious stuff on difficult courses and not just threaten on easy desert layouts.

 

[Curls]

Agreed - he's good for the game

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

His caddy should have taken the driver out the bag and snapped it over his knee before Fowler had a chance to hit it. Very poor decision in the circumstances. If he had been the one chasing then yes it would have been a good aggressive play.

 

[jmf1488]

His caddy should have left the 3 wood on the tee box and started walking toward the green with the bag before Rickie arrived on the tee.

Caddy was very weak in my view in allowing him to hit driver.

Yes, ultimately, it's the player choice but I feel a strong caddy would have had him see sense and play lesser club.

It actually seems like the caddy had his share in making the decision to hit driver. You could clearly hear him talking to Rickie about the shot, asking him "are you with me on this?".

So not only didn't he stop Rickie, he at least reaffirmed him to hit driver if he wasn't actually the driving force behind the decision...

The caddy and him where working out distances and his 3 wood was bringing the bunkers into play. It was either go over or go before. He was just unfortunate with the bounce on the down slope. As someone else said a foot either way and it would have been perfect. We'd all be here now playing a different tune.

 

[One Planer]

It actually seems like the caddy had his share in making the decision to hit driver. You could clearly hear him talking to Rickie about the shot, asking him "are you with me on this?".

So not only didn't he stop Rickie, he at least reaffirmed him to hit driver if he wasn't actually the driving force behind the decision...

Then his caddy is a complete anus.

He has a 2 shot lead with 2 holes to play. There is zero need to be aggressive as if chasing a leader.

Find the fairway from the tee and put the pressure on the opponent to do the same, even if that means laying up on a drivable par 4. They were the ones chasing after all.

After booming it into the water off the tee, all he did was give his opponents a chance to put the pressure back on him as making par from the back of the green was no guarantee.

I'll understand that not everyone will agree with me, but, IMHO, the caddy should be calming his player as opposed to encouraging him on this shot in those circumstances.

 

[Dan2501]

What if Rickie was uncomfortable laying up? Not confident laying up? From the conversation you could hear, Rickie was worried about not carrying the water on the left at 265, so took Driver to take the water out of play. He'd been hitting his driver exceptionally well all day, and the chances of finding the downslope like he did were incredibly slim. He tried laying up in the playoff and look how that went. Should have just hit driver again.

 

[One Planer]

The caddy and him where working out distances and his 3 wood was bringing the bunkers into play. It was either go over or go before. He was just unfortunate with the bounce on the down slope. As someone else said a foot either way and it would have been perfect. We'd all be here now playing a different tune.

I would agree, but they would have been aware of the various slopes and more aware of how far Rickie hits his clubs.

From the position he was in (2 shots clear), "safety first" should surely be the option?

Even if he hit a long iron that would have had not much more than a mid wedge to the pin.

I called it when I watched it and thought it strange that he pulled driver.

 

[FairwayDodger]

I would agree, but they would have been aware of the various slopes and more aware of how far Rickie hits his clubs.

From the position he was in (2 shots clear), "safety first" should surely be the option?

Even if he hit a long iron that would have had not much more than a mid wedge to the pin.

I called it when I watched it and thought it strange that he pulled driver.

He needed a birdie on either 17 or 18 to make sure so switching to playing conservatively wouldn't have done it.

It's always a subjective call but he hit a great shot and was undone by an unlucky bounce.

Fair enough some see it both ways but some pretty extreme criticism on here for what was not a cut and dried decision.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

What if Rickie was uncomfortable laying up? Not confident laying up?

The #4 golfer on the planet isn't comfortable hitting an iron onto a big wide fairway? If that is the case then he doesn't deserve to be where he is.

 

[One Planer]

He needed a birdie on either 17 or 18 to make sure so switching to playing conservatively wouldn't have done it.

It's always a subjective call but he hit a great shot and was undone by an unlucky bounce.

Fair enough some see it both ways but some pretty extreme criticism on here for what was not a cut and dried decision.

For sure Karen, everyone has a different perspective.

Nowt wrong with that at all :thup:

 

[One Planer]

The #4 golfer on the planet isn't comfortable hitting an iron onto a big wide fairway? If that is the case then he doesn't deserve to be where he is.

^
^
^

What he said.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

He needed a birdie on either 17 or 18 to make sure so switching to playing conservatively wouldn't have done it.

It's always a subjective call but he hit a great shot and was undone by an unlucky bounce.

Fair enough some see it both ways but some pretty extreme criticism on here for what was not a cut and dried decision.

He made bogey on 17th but still got into a play off. A par would have won it, he didn't need to be aggressive at all. It would have been much smarter to hit 3 wood and risk the bunker where he could still make birdie/par than bring the water into play where par/bogey is the likely result.

 

[Dan2501]

If it was that much smarter to hit the 3 wood. What happened in the playoff? Different club, same result. Rickie saw driver as his best option to avoid the water. It was 360 to go long into the water, would have never expected to end up in there. He wanted to take the water on the left out of play, and didn't feel confident that his 3-wood would carry it. He got amazingly unlucky. If he'd avoided that downslope and made birdie there would be no thread.

A lot easier to make decisions sat at home, or after the event on a forum. Rickie and his caddy know what they're doing, and they took the option they felt gave them the best chance of making birdie.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

He got an unlucky bounce

He is the world number 4 - one of the best exciting players on the planet

Next time the bounce could have been lucky

It happens and fair play to him for taking it on

 

[Kellfire]

Playing well and leading = play to your strengths whilst considering the percentages.

He did so and the percentages worked against him as he caught a slope that you'd never have pictured him hitting.

Hindsight is wonderful and also irrelevant.

He made the right call and it went wrong. It happens.

 

[FairwayDodger]

He made bogey on 17th but still got into a play off. A par would have won it, he didn't need to be aggressive at all. It would have been much smarter to hit 3 wood and risk the bunker where he could still make birdie/par than bring the water into play where par/bogey is the likely result.

No it wouldn't - two pars would still have put him in a play off. To close it out he needed a birdie at either 17 or 18. Easy to look with hindsight and say it's wrong but he hit a peach of a shot and got an unlucky bounce. In the air he thought it was perfect - middle of the green for a two putt birdie and game over.

 

[One Planer]

If it was that much smarter to hit the 3 wood. What happened in the playoff? Different club, same result. Rickie saw driver as his best option to avoid the water. It was 360 to go long into the water, would have never expected to end up in there. He wanted to take the water on the left out of play, and didn't feel confident that his 3-wood would carry it. He got amazingly unlucky. If he'd avoided that downslope and made birdie there would be no thread.

A lot easier to make decisions sat at home, or after the event on a forum. Rickie and his caddy know what they're doing, and they took the option they felt gave them the best chance of making birdie.

If that's the case, why didn't he hit driver again in the play off?

 

[User 105]

Honestly I was surprised. When he pulled driver I was screaming "No, don't do it" at the TV.

I wasn't thinking about the risk of going over the back, but the water on the left. He'd already had a touch of the lefts going with his driver by then.

ok, he got unlucky. But why even bring luck into it ?

Iron it down the middle. Wedge to middle of the green and 2 putt par with a chance of a birdy.

 

[Dan2501]

A lot easier to have your mind changed when you've already gone in the water. Before he'd hit the first tee shot on 17 he was never to know that it was going to happen. His shot in the playoff proved that his initial decision was correct. He fights losing the ball to the left, and was never going to make the carry with a 3-wood. His initial decision was correct, he just got unlucky. Just a shame they didn't have the confidence to pull the driver again, but I don't blame them.

 

[Joff]

I love it when weekend warriors question one of the best 5 players in the world. He's where he is because of his aggression, not despite it.