|
Fowler bogeyed his last hole Thursday, ending the first round of
the Wyndham Championship with a 1-over 71 that left him tied for
130th when play was suspended due to darkness in Greensboro,
N.C.
The 32-year-old slumping star found himself nine strokes back of
first-round leader Russell Henley and on the wrong side of the
projected cut line as he attempts to qualify for the FedEx Cup
playoffs at the 11th hour. Only the top 65 plus ties after the
second round will make the cut.
Fowler entered the week 130th in the FedEx Cup standings; only
the top 125 make it to the first round of the playoffs, next
week's Northern Trust. Fowler has never missed the playoffs in
his career, though he is not in danger of losing his PGA Tour
card because his 2015 Players Championship victory provides him
a long-term exemption.
Fowler made three bogeys and two birdies on a day when the
majority of the field at Sedgefield Country Club shot under par.
On the 18th hole, Fowler's approach shot found a bunker guarding
the front-right of the green, and after recovering from the
sand, he missed a 20-foot par putt.
A couple of other big names on the cusp of the playoff cut line
fared better.
Australian Adam Scott (121st place in the FedEx Cup) and
Englishmen Tommy Fleetwood (136th) and Justin Rose (138th)
arrived in Greensboro with no guarantees they'd reach the
playoffs. All three players turned in rounds of 4-under 66 to
put themselves squarely in contention.
Also shooting 66 were Matt Kuchar (124th place) and Slovakia's
Rory Sabbatini (141st), who is coming off winning a silver medal
at the Tokyo Olympics men's golf competition.
Italian Francesco Molinari (140th) opened the tournament with a
3-under 67.
--Field Level Media
[© 2021 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2021 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content. |
|
