Rickie Fowler John Deere Classic took a sharp turn on Saturday, when Rickie Fowler fired an 8-under 63 to move into contention at TPC Deere Run. He reached 11-under 202 and finished the day tied for 12th, giving him a real chance to push into the final round chase.
Fowler’s 39-foot eagle at 14
The round turned on No. 14, where he drove the ball 334 yards on the drivable par-4 and rolled in a 39-foot, 5-inch eagle putt. That shot capped a day in which he made 137 feet of putts, far more than the 140 feet he had combined across his opening rounds of 70 and 69.
He also made five birdies and took one three-putt bogey. The numbers added up fast after he had made the cut on the 3-under number through the first two rounds and had been six shots back of Zach Johnson over 36 holes.
TPC Deere Run and the scoring
Fowler said the putter finally gave him room to move. “I made a 12-footer or so on my third hole, 12, and then the hole right before 14, I had a 30-footer and hit a perfect putt, thought I made it, and it just didn’t break at the end.” He followed that with a longer one at 14 and called the day “a good, solid day.”
He also said the course gives players room to score, but only if they keep the ball in the right spots. “You can score around here, obviously, as you can see from the quality of good scores this week,” Fowler said. “But it also can be tricky at times, especially when the wind starts to blow. I don't think the golf course is as easy as some of the guys out here make it look. But I think it's a good golf course and you have to kind of hit your spots.”
Rickie Fowler Sunday in the
The 37-year-old Californian enters Sunday in the final round at 11-under 202, tied for 12th, with his first win since the 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic still in reach. He already has four top-10 finishes this year, including a T2 at the Truist Championship in May, and he stood 33rd in the FedExCup order and 42nd in the Official World Golf Rankings after Saturday.
That leaves one round to turn a hot Saturday into a result that can stick. Fowler said he is “looking forward to tomorrow.”
