Rickie Fowler aims big for the 2012 season
Rickie Fowler clearly has not had enough of his first pro victory in the 2011 Kolon Korea Open, held in South Korea, as he eyes even bigger achievements in the 2012 season.
The 23-year-old American was more than thrilled when he entered the course in Korea and found that the field was much stronger than he had expected.
Although he bagged his first triumph in a relatively smaller Tour, he was glad that the Korea Open field comprised of names like Rory McIlroy and Ye Yang.
Fowler's career has been skyrocketing since he aligned himself with the PGA (Professional Golf Association) Tour back in 2010.
However, the young star still seems to be heavily influenced by his first victory. He surged past the world number 2 McIlroy, who finished 2nd.
Some say Fowler has a lot to improve in his game, as his swing and putting skills demand more focused practice.
However, the question looms whether he will be able to rack up another victory in the 2012 season.
Predicting something without digging into his profile will not help. Fowler's career is, apparently, not awash with heaps of triumphs.
In addition to a victory in the 2011 Kolon Korea Open, he was awarded Rookie of the Year, in 2010, in recognition of his superb performance.
He finished in the top 10 seven times and this is what made him stand out among all the rookies.
The 2011 season was also spectacular, as he managed to make 19 cuts in just 23 tournaments he played.
Moreover, he came close to winning the Bridgestone Invitational but due to a few lapses, he had to lose the title.
Again, Fowler may not have inspired the golf world with a string of victories like Tiger Woods and Luke Donald have, however, he has something to attract fans: his attire.
When he sets foot on the course, the only thing the spectators pay attention to is his flashy outfits.
Another prominent trait the young American has is that he typically wears orange clothes on the final day of tournaments.
The 2012 season has started and he has shown up in the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines.
Although he could finish in the top spots, he did gain attention by displaying amazing performance. He finished tied for 13th.
The first round at Torrey Pines saw Fowler fire an impressive 4-under 68. He recorded 4 birdies and one bogey on the par-4 10th.
He showed good performance in the 2nd round as well. He launched a birdie on the par-4 4th. He stunned the spectators again on the difficult par-3 8th hole.
This time he carded a 2-under 70, a modest score to keep him in a comfortable position.
He picked up pace in the 3rd round and fired a birdie on the par-5 6th. He bogeyed the par-5 9th.
On the back nine, he bogeyed the 10th and then birdied the next hole. On the 14th hole, he carded his third birdie and capped off the round with 1-under 71.
His final round was almost as good as he birdied the 1st hole and the 3rd. He bogeyed the 8th.
Speaking about his phenomenal finish, Fowler said he was more than thrilled with his performance.
He wanted to finish inside the top 10 but due to some flaws in this putting on that particular day, he finished 13th.
"Where I am today, it's been a huge success. I guess [winning] is kind of the one thing that just needs to be done. I'm going to get my first win out of the way and, like I said, that's one of my main goals going into this year," Fowler said.
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