Rickie Fowler will take a one-shot lead into the weekend at the U.S. Open as he goes in search of a maiden Major Championship at The Los Angeles Country Club.
The home favourite has some pedigree in golf's four biggest events, finishing in the top five in all of them in 2014, but Major contention looked a long way away just nine months ago as he dropped to 185th in the Official World Golf Ranking.
Since then he has climbed back into the top 50 and on day one in his home state of California, he became the first player ever to record a 62 at the U.S. Open.
Fast forward 24 hours and a 68 saw him match the lowest 36-hole total in tournament history as he moved to ten under, a shot clear of fellow American Wyndham Clark.
Rory McIlroy - whose 11 under score after 36 holes in 2011 is the lowest 36-hole score to par in event history - was at eight under after a 67 alongside Xander Schauffele.
Harris English was then at seven under, a shot clear of Min Woo Lee - who carded the lowest round of the day with a 65 - and Dustin Johnson.
Rickie Fowler. Solo leader through 36 holes. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/xPDBRqlHyb
— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 17, 2023
Fowler followed that brilliant 2014 by claiming his first DP World Tour title at the 2015 Scottish Open and he was a winner again at the 2016 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
A third DP World Tour triumph would make him a Major Champion at last and add yet another prestigious trophy to his collection after he won the PLAYERS Championship on the PGA TOUR in 2015.
"I would say now I'm in a better position than any of those years," he said. "I really haven't, I feel like, played to my capabilities yet and knowing what I've been able to salvage and still get some solid finishes and putting myself in contention, I just feel like I'm getting older, so I'm more mature.
"I do feel like I'm in a better position with my game now than I was back then.
"I have a better understanding of everything. I know more about my swing, myself, my mental approach, and I would say having a family now and a great support group around us, I just feel like I have a lot more going for me than I did then.
"I'm in the lead but we're only halfway there. Being in the lead is nice but it really means nothing right now.
"I'm looking forward to continuing to challenge myself and go out there and try and execute the best I can."
Fowler picked up straight where he had left off, making the most of the par-five first and putting an approach to seven feet at the second to become the fastest player to ten under in U.S. Open history.
Another approach to three feet had him 11 under but he gave a shot back on the fourth before sandwiching a bogey between birdies on the sixth and eighth to turn in 32.
Back to back bogeys from the tenth brought him back to Clark and Schauffele but he holed a long putt at the 12th before dropping another shot on the 13th.
A third hole in one this week and it’s for the defending champion @MattFitz94! 🤯🎯#USOpen pic.twitter.com/GqMqo6n3j2
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) June 16, 2023
Another bogey came on the 16th but Fowler surrounded it with a tee-shot to eight feet on the 15th and an approach to similar range on the 17th to end the day in double figures.
Clark had set the early target with four birdies and a bogey in a 67, while Schauffele recovered from a hat-trick of bogeys from the 13th with gains on the 17th and last in a 70.
McIlroy was one over for his round after 13 holes but then birdied four of his last five in a 67, with English carding a 66.
Australian Lee made six birdies and a single bogey in his sparkling 65 to sit a shot ahead of World Number One Scottie Scheffler and another American in Sam Bennett.
Defending champion Matt Fitzpatrick made the first hole-in-one of his professional career and the third of the week when he sank his tee-shot on the 15th.
