PLAYING FOR GLORY. THE BEST PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP EVER.

Rickie Fowler in his usual Sunday Orange

I love watching golf on TV, especially the majors and special tournaments, like the Players Championship. This time, I was only able to hear most of the tournament in my car -yes, as a certified "golf nut", I pay for Sirus Radio so I can hear about golf while I am driving-, but it didn't make it any less interesting. In fact, it was more interesting because it was my mind's eye that was seeing the tournament from another perspective.

Just before Rickie Fowler made an eagle on #16 to go 10 under, Sergio, the leader was in trouble behind on #14. I could not see the trouble, nor the 2 foot putt left for eagle, but the imagination runs wild and fast.... "what if, Rickie makes eagle and then birdies #17? Maybe 18 too? Wouldn't that be a great finish?.... that would put Rickie at 12 under and let them shoot at it!. Nah, things like these only happen to Palmer, Nicklaus and Woods, but Fowler? It'll be a good finish and hopefully, Rickie, only the third man in man in the last 30 years to finish in the top five in all majors in the same season, can win a big one soon"... How soon is today for you? Soon enough, I guess!"

Every once in a while, like every 29 years, you get to see a finish like the one on Sunday, when "Palmeresque" Rickie Fowler played the last six holes in six under par to earn a spot in a playoff that he eventually won. Two for two for three in playoffs now, and both victories coming in playoffs.

Always proud to show his colors!
It's fun to cheer for the same man
as much as cheering for different teams!
(Thanks for the updates Mike!)

As I was listening, I was doing math, and the announcers in radio were helping too. One said, "Rickie does not want to stop with eagle here. He'll go for it at #17. He does not mind losing while trying to win, it is not about a check for him, it is about proving that he can win". And to the pin he went. 

Have you ever heard announcers narrate a goal in soccer? That was what they did on #17. First, when Rickie hit his shot to inside 8 feet, the guy was going nuts! Saying, "game on!" And you should have heard when Rickie made the putt, I mean, you could feel his emotion. 

So, since I was driving and wanted to share the emotion with someone (Mona had already told me she was watching a delayed recording, so I was well ahead of her on what was going on), so I texted (voice activated text, by the way) to my friend Mike Proctor, saying, "are you watching golf on TV?" He said "yes". So we exchanged a few messages, until I could get to a place where I could watch. 

I was lucky enough to watch Rickie's last hole and Kevin's and Sergio's as well, and to the playoff they went...., then the TV signal went bad where I was, and I was back to texting Mike for updates! IT WAS STRESSFUL AND FRUSTRATING! 

He did not mind, he knew I love great golf, and of course, was also hoping for a great ending story, both of us cheering for Fowler, one probably double cheering (as a Cowboy fan, Mike is "orange" all the way). I was cheering for the man who had just come out of nowhere to get in the playoff group.  Same guy that beat Rory McIlroy for his only previous win on Tour, same giy who was chosen for the Ryder Cup at the Cletic Manor Resort, in Wales, where Rickie birdied last three holes there to half his match against Edoardo Moolinari, whose brother Francesco beat Tiger the same day. Had Tiger won, the U.S. would have won the cup 14 1/2 to 13 1/2, instead of losing it by the same margin (Note: Tiger did win three points that year, but lost his individual and crucial match).

Let's go back a little in time, when you were young and playing any sport. Didn't you ever imagine as a child a moment like this, you being the player? This announcer was re-living his own past, and most likely, Rickie's past too. Surely Rickie, once or twice, dreamed about moments like this. "If I go down, I go down in flames, but I am not playing for second and a big check, I am playing for glory". And this time, he closed the deal. A big deal.

On #17, he had little room for error. Big grown men, including Sergio, a past champion, who was once tied with Tiger going to this treacherous hole, have dunked one in the water... or two, like Sergio did that time. Sergio was not going to play safe and make play for par. He needed birdie that day as Tiger was playing the birdieable #16 and tied for the lead, so Tiger had an advantage. Sergio's execution was not good and he lost the tournament right there. 

In contrast, Rickie's execution was perfect, just left of the hole. He wasn't done yet. He needed to make the putt, and then see if he could birdie #18. It reminds me of the charge that Jack made in the 1986 Masters and the one Palmer made in the 1960 U.S. Open. Both men came from well behind to win big tournaments. We all know what happened on #18, Rickie came and threaded the fairway like with a high powered rifle with a Nikon P-223 scope, hitting his target perfectly, as he did with his 20 foot putt which went right in the middle.

The playoff was a fitting end.... a birdie on #17 in the sudden death playoff after he had birdied in regulation, and then in the 3-Hole Aggregate. Three under for the day on the same hole. 

Now, if he could start playing like that on Friday and Saturday, he wouldn't have to work as hard on Sunday... BUT, IT WOULDN'T BE AS FUN FOR T.V. WEEKENDS, OR WOULD IT? (Has your mind changed about who can win the U.S. Open next month?)