Rickie Fowler missed qualifying for the U.S. Open in the most heartbreaking fashion
Ugh.
It hasn’t been a great 2021 for Rickie Fowler.
He was on the wrong end of a Nick Faldo barb. He’s struggled to make cuts (he’s missed six this year) and although he’s look good as of late — a top-10 at the PGA, 11th at the Memorial in his last two starts — he was on the outside looking in for the 2021 U.S. Open, needing to play a qualifier in Ohio with other notable PGA pros to make it.
As the Associated Press reported, Fowler woke up Tuesday morning needing a good finish at the qualifier after a rain delay. And here’s what happened:
He returned Tuesday morning and tugged a 7-iron on the par-3 14th, but then he holed a 40-foot birdie putt. Fowler hit wedge to 12 feet on No. 15 and narrowly missed the birdie. His 7-iron to 15 feet on the par-5 16th gave him a good look at eagle, which he missed.
He also missed from 15 feet for birdie on the 17th, all those putts snapping off hard at the hole. On the 18th, Fowler caught a flyer lie over the green. His pitch landed softly and was headed for the cup for birdie when it came up short.
“Another roll and it probably would have gone in,” he said.
That’s right, he was one shot and ONE ROLL short.
Rickie Fowler goes 73-66 at Columbus sectional that extended into Tuesday morning, but comes up one shot short. Will miss the @usopengolf for the first time since 2010.
— Will Gray (@WillGrayGC) June 8, 2021
Phil Mickelson did offer to give his U.S. Open exemption to Fowler … but I don’t think that’s how it works:
I hereby designate my (no longer necessary) exemption to Rickie.
— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) June 8, 2021
What a bummer.