Fowler claims Players Amateur
IN: News | US Mens Amateur | Players Amateur (2007) | Round Four | by Anthony Powter | 16 Jul 2007
American Rickie Fowler secured his second major American amateur title in two months winning The Players Amateur by two strokes with a twenty-four under 264, from countryman Michael Thompson. Australian Rohan Blizard continued his fine run at the tournament finishing fourth at seventeen under, 271, two strokes ahead of New Zealand’s James Gill.
Fowler, who won the Sunnehanna Amateur last month, recorded four rounds in the sixties to win the event wire to wire with a tournament record combined total. With his chances of making the US Walker Cup improving with each tournament, Fowler will head to The Porter Cup in two weeks, looking to add his third victory to his expanding list of recent achievements. Fowler is currently the seventh ranked American amateur and the top ranked junior amateur.
Rohan Blizard, like Fowler, also heads to the Porter Cup with plenty of confidence about his game and was pleased how he fared this week in Bluffton, South Carolina.
“If you put aside my second round seventy one, which really widened the cap from the leaders, I felt like that I was hitting the ball well all week,” remarked Blizard.
“I just was unable to stay with the leaders on the second day, especially having three over on the front nine which hurt. Rickie [Fowler] made some great scores out there this week, especially the sixty three on Friday, followed by a sixty four the next day.”
Blizard has this week off, as he prepares for the Porter Cup, starting July 24 at Niagara Falls Country Club, an event regarded as one of America’s finest and one that he’s looking forward to playing.
“I’ve never played the Porter Cup and all the guys this week keep raving on about how good of an event it is. The Americans are certainly pumped, especially with Walker Cup selection coming up, as they continually refer to it.”
New Zealander James Gill was another strong performer this week, finishing fifth at fifteen under.
“I’m pretty pleased to shoot 15-under. In other years that would have probably won on the West course. Rickie broke the tournament record by seven shots, so he was really hot,” remarked Gill.
“This is no easy track. The course rating is 74.5 so I felt like I played really well. I knew it was coming as I’ve been close to scoring well in the last two weeks.”
“I hit it very consistently and the short putts started to drop. I did not have a bogey in the last two rounds which was pleasing.”
Gill is now scheduled to compete in the Porter Cup and Western Amateur ahead of qualifying for the US Amateur.
In one of the low rounds of the final day, Tim Stewart ripped apart the West Course at Belfair with a 64, setting the former Australian amateur champion up well for the upcoming Porter Cup.
“I managed five birdies on the front and three on the back with no bogeys today,” said Stewart. “I’ve been waiting for a low one for a while now, so I am happy that the last few weeks of good practice has paid off.”
Like the majority of the Australians, Stewart has been on the road for over a month, playing both in the UK and America and this week will have a well earned rest.
“I am now having a week off, first one for the trip, so I am looking forward to taking it easy for a few days and getting ready for our next tournament, which is the Porter Cup.”
Other Australians to play well this week at The Players included Andrew Dodt (-7), Aaron Pike (-6) and Richie Gallichan (-4). The majority, like Stewart will have this week off, however, some like Rudi Bezuidenhout are scheduled to play the Southern Amateur in North Carolina, starting Wednesday.
