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 The American began his Middle East debut confidently, matching
world number one and playing partner Rory McIlroy with a first-round
five-under 67.
But a triple bogey in a second-round 75 dashed any hopes Fowler had
of adding to his meager trophy haul and the 26-year-old was unable
to arrest his form slump in Saturday’s third round.
“It’s just golf, it was a little rough today,” a downbeat Fowler
told Reuters.
“The course is great, nothing has changed. I just got into a bad
rhythm for a couple of days. I made some good swings on the last.”
Fowler, relegated to the early starters after narrowly making the
cut, did little positive on the front nine, bogeying the sixth hole
as he struggled to find the fairways.
 He double-bogeyed the 10th, made his first birdie on 13, dropped
another shot at 15 before a final-hole eagle added gloss to a tough
day on the National course.
Fowler said that last putt would give him something to take into
Sunday’s final round after which he will fly home to the United
States to begin his build-up to April’s U.S. Masters.
Asked for goals for 2015, Fowler said; “I definitely want to win,
play well through to the FedEx Cup and make the President’s Cup
team.”
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The world number 10 finished joint fifth or better at last year’s
four majors, outscoring his friend McIlroy in the process.
But it was the Northern Irishman who won the British Open and U.S.
PGA Championship while Fowler is still searching for a first
tournament victory since 2012’s Wells Fargo Championship, his
solitary U.S. tour triumph.
Fowler said he was confirmed in the field for May’s Irish Open at
Royal County Down and would probably play in the Scottish Open in
July, but he has no other plans to appear on the European circuit
this year.
(Editing by Ed Osmond)
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