Fowler's win may herald exciting new rivalry

THE FUTURE could be just a little bit orange, perhaps? Rickie Fowler’s evolution into a winner on the US Tour – courtesy of a breakthrough win in the Wells Fargo Championship on Sunday – was, probably, a little overdue but it brought with it the prospect of an exciting new rivalry with world number one Rory McIlroy, just five months his junior, that epitomises the bright, new face of the sport.

In actual fact, the McIlroy-Fowler connect goes back to their amateur days when on opposing sides in the Walker Cup at Royal Co Down in 2007.

Since then, McIlroy – who turned 23 last week – has been the quicker developer: in turn, the Ulsterman has won on the European Tour, the US Tour, won a first Major (last year’s US Open) and risen to world number one.

If Fowler has taken his time to follow in any of those footsteps, the manner of his win in Quail Hollow, where he beat McIlroy and fellow-American DA Points with a birdie at the first hole of a sudden-death play-off, would indicate that his time has come to emerge as a major player. Fowler’s win saw him jump 15 places in the official world rankings, from 39th to 24th.

Of a potential rivalry with McIlroy, Fowler said: “We’ve always had a great camaraderie, been good buddies (on tour). I definitely respect him as a player and I feel like he respects me as well . . . I look forward to playing against him and hopefully having plenty more tournaments where we’re battling back and forth and there’s going to be times where he’s going to come out on top and times where I come out on top. I look forward to possibly doing that for a long time.”

He added: “We’re both still young compared to the average age on tour. We have probably our own little rivalry going, a friendly rivalry. But obviously Phil (Mickelson) and Tiger (Woods) have had a bit of a rivalry. I think that there’s so many good young players right now that it’s hard to focus on maybe just Rory and I as a rivalry. You can name 10 guys and put us all in a rivalry and we’re all trying to beat each other just as bad as the others. It’s kind of hard to pick out just two guys right now.”

McIlroy, for his part, believed Fowler’s breakthrough was a matter of when rather than if. “It was just a matter of time before he won. I played in the Korean Open last year which he won, his first win as a pro, and then it seems like (Quail Hollow) produces first-time winners: Anthony Kim, myself and now Rickie. It’s great to see.”

Although McIlroy resumed his status as world number one – leapfrogging back in front of Luke Donald for that honour – it was the win that he most wanted. “It’s a little consolation (to regain the world number-one spot) but I would rather win the tournament. I want to try and play well for the next few weeks and try and solidify my spot there as number one and hopefully start by doing that (at The Players) and giving myself another chance to win.”

McIlroy is one of three Irish players in the field for The Players at TPC Sawgrass outside Jacksonville in Florida this week. Graeme McDowell, who withdrew from last week’s event in Quail Hollow after feeling “under the weather,” returns to tournament play at Sawgrass where he was the 54-hole leader last year only to slide down the field in the final round as KJ Choi claimed the title.

Pádraig Harrington is also in the field after a three-week break, during which time he has had two of his back-room team – coach Pete Cowen and Dave Alred – over to his home and practice facilities in Dublin for sessions.

Harrington’s main concern, though, has been with his putting. “It is not a technical issue, just a trust issue on reading the greens,” explained Harrington. “I putted nice the first three rounds of Augusta. I know them, all feel-based, but I tend to get a little bit analytical at times and try to be too precise which I got on the Sunday at Augusta. Instead of hitting a putt up the right-hand side of the hole, I was trying to hit it exactly on the right lip and not hit it outside the lip or inside the lip.

“(But) Plenty of putts go in when hit an inch right of target or an inch left of target. I was trying to be very careful and to get it right. I have to be a little more relaxed and accepting and trust my reading of the greens. That’s why I say to you I can practice as normal but it is all about getting on the golf course and holing putts and building that confidence,” said Harrington.

Harrington and McDowell have similar schedules mapped out in the coming weeks, in the build-up to next month’s US Open at the Olympic Club in San Francisco: they both play in Sawgrass, take next week off, and then play the BMW PGA Championship.

McDowell, for his part, follows up this week’s Players with an appearance in next week’s Volvo Matchplay in Spain – where British Open champion Darren Clarke is also playing – before heading on to Wentworth.

This week’s stop on the European Tour – the Madeira Island Open – has just three Irish players in the field. Simon Thornton, the only one of the trio with a full tour card, heads the contingent that also features Challenge Tour player Colm Moriarty and club professional Dara Ford, who is based in Madeira, and the recipient of a sponsor’s invite.