Rickie Fowler aims to break drought and capture victory at the Rocket Mortgage Classic

DETROIT -- Rickie Fowler would take a repeat of his 18th hole in a heartbeat come Sunday at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Standing in the fairway at Detroit Golf Club tied for the lead through 17 holes of his third round, Fowler stuffed his approach shot three feet and got the type of rousing applause you’d expect from a Sunday champion as he walked to the green. He tapped in for birdie and another thunderous ovation followed.

Fowler‘s patented calm demeanor didn’t waver. This isn’t the end of the tournament, after all. There are still 18 holes to play. Nobody knows that better than Fowler.

He shared the lead after 54 holes at the U.S. Open two weeks ago. A week later he was inside the top-5 through three rounds at the Travelers Championship. Whether it was loose iron shots at The Los Angeles Country Club or a solid round that just got beat at TPC River Highlands, Fowler left Sunday still searching. Searching for a win he could feel coming.

“Whether it happens tomorrow or not, it's going to happen here soon,” he said after firing a Saturday 64 to take the lead alone at 20-under.

The version of Fowler that fell outside the top 150 of the world last summer and had to grind just to make the FedExCup playoffs is gone. There’s no more tinkering with the swing or swapping coaches. He’s not searching for good golf anymore. He’s found that. He’s searching for the best golf. He feels he’s doing that too, admitting earlier this week he’s playing some of the best, if not the best, golf of his career. He just hasn’t been the one standing with the trophy at the end.

If there is a time to do it, Sunday at the Rocket Mortgage Classic is as good as any. Adam Hadwin is the only other golfer with a TOUR win that’s within three shots. Collin Morikawa is the only other TOUR winner inside the top 10. He’s four shots back.

It’s going to take another low round to do it, Fowler knows that. Already at 20-under, Fowler’s worst round was a Thursday 67. With rain incoming and tee times moved up five hours, soft conditions are expected. Low scores will be out there, and someone right around the lead is bound to pour in some putts and make him earn it. He’s held a share of the 54-hole lead 10 times in his career, he’s won just twice. On both occasions, Fowler won shooting an over-par final round. That won’t be enough at Detroit Golf Club.

“Someone's going to have a play a really solid round of golf to win,” said Fowler, whose last win came at the 2019 WM Phoenix Open.

There’s no reason it can’t be the five-time TOUR winner. He leads the field in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green and is 18th in putting. He’s made 23 birdies, two more than anyone else. After a bogey on the par-4 10th on Saturday, Fowler rattled off six birdies in the last eight holes to take the lead alone.

The firepower is there. In the final group, though, are a pair of Canadians well-equipped for the same shootout. Hadwin fired a third-round 63, tying the course record and vaulting him to 19 under, one back. Pendrith, donned in red and white for Canada Day, held steady in the final group of the day with seven birdies and two bogeys. He’s 18-under.

A win by either would make them the fifth Canadian to win on TOUR this year, joining Adam Svensson, Mackenzie Hughes, Corey Conners and Nick Taylor.

“I certainly don't want to be left behind,” Hadwin said when asked if he feels any added motivation to join the group. The 35-year-old’s only TOUR win came six years ago at the Valspar Championship. It’s been a while, he admits, and in some ways, it feels like he’s trying to win again for the first time.

"I feel like I'm a completely different player than I was back then," he said.

Pendrith is truly searching for that maiden victory, too. He was close a year ago in Detroit, entering the final round tied for the lead with eventual winner Tony Finau. An even-par round of 72 on Sunday ended his chances.

Make no mistake though, Fowler enters the final round as the favorite fighting for that elusive sixth win.

“I know what I need to do,” he said. “… I'm not scared to fail. I've dealt with plenty of that and dealt with plenty of bad golf. So just keep trusting swing thoughts and go stick to our game plan and go play some golf.”

Maybe Sunday it will finally be good enough.