They are just halfway there, as Collin Morikawa and Rickie Fowler will be the first to admit. Through two rounds at the Rocket Mortgage, two of the game’s biggest names have put themselves in contention, which is nothing new for either player.
However, they are hesitant to discuss the likelihood of winning at this time.
“I’m confident we can accomplish that. Just keep playing solid golf and don’t put too much pressure on it,” said Fowler who won his last competition at the 2019 waste management open.
“Make the weekend, you’re still in the running, and we only want to post two incredibly low numbers this weekend. This is when the real work begins,” said Morikawa.
His first victory since the 2021 Open Championship is what he is aiming for.
The Fans need to pardon them both for not getting too far ahead of themselves. They have undoubtedly lost more games than they have won in competitive situations. In the past few weeks, both have had that dreadful feeling.
After the first three rounds of the U.S. Open, Fowler was in the lead, but after a final-round 75, he dropped to T5. Even though he came close to Keegan Bradley at the Travelers Championship last week, he eventually fell short.
At the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday, Morikawa felt he had a chance to win after three rounds but withdrew prior to the final round due to a back injury. He finished T4 after two rounds at the Masters, T3 after two rounds at THE PLAYERS Championship, and he led every day of the Sentry Tournament of Champions before falling to Jon Rahm in the championship match. They, therefore, prefer to talk about the golf that has already been played for the time being. All right. Fowler is at 12 under par, and Morikawa is at 11 under par. At 13 under, Taylor Moore and Taylor Pendrith are tied for the lead.
With a second-round 65 on the strength of six birdies, a bogey, and a chip-in eagle on the 17th par-5, Fowler had the better Friday. He moved ahead of Morikawa on the leaderboard and into a tie for sixth place with Ludvig Aberg, who was also 12 under. At 1:50 p.m. local time, they begin play.
In order to maneuver around Detroit Golf Club, Fowler depended on his ball striking. He struck 15 greens and made four putts for birdies that were less than three feet long.
Fowler, to his credit, also struck a 49-foot bomb for birdie on the 12th par-4. “That always makes things a little easier,” he remarked.
Morikawa shot a 65 on Thursday before shooting a 67 in the second round. His score on the 15th par-4, where he nailed his 242-yard approach shot to just under three feet, contained four birdies, a bogey, and an eagle. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Morikawa too enjoyed a feast when striking the ball. He came in second place in the same category in the second round and currently holds the No. 2 spot this season in Strokes Gained: Approach. He begins his round on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. local time with Aaron Rai.
Not missing left was Morikawa’s main goal the entire week. A consistent fader of the golf ball, his recent tendency to double-cross himself has shaken his self-assurance. It has been two days since he last felt confident.
“I figured it out on Wednesday, and it has been working for a few days,” he said.
“I still won’t reveal it to you. That’s a reasonable response; if I win, I’ll let you know on Sunday,” he said.
It’s safe to say that Morikawa and Fowler will both have a big say in who wins this week’s competition. But until that happens, there shouldn’t be too much anticipation for them. There won’t be any assuming the worst. They’ve visited this location once or twice previously.
