While many sports fans were watching hours of pregame hype prior to Sunday’s Super Bowl telecast, I clicked over to CBS to watch the PGA Tour’s most entertaining annual event in Phoenix. The Waste Management Phoenix Open features the only hole on the professional golf tour which is entirely encircled with grandstands filled with fans – the par three 16th hole.
The desert golf patrons literally go wild in Phoenix and show-up in droves to support this event, which coincides with the Super Bowl every season. Over 216,000 fans showed up – and that was just for Saturday’s third round!
The 16th hole at the TPC of Scottsdale is the pro golfer’s equivalent of walking into the Roman Coliseum to face the lions. With about 20,000 fans jammed into the stands and enjoying a day of adult beverages, the professional golfer steps onto the tee knowing full well that the crowd will either wildly applaud or boo his tee shot and even his putting. Most of the golfers love the atmosphere, while others simply skip the week to avoid the intense atmosphere and pressure.
Generally, the “good guys” of golf show up for this event. Phil Mickelson and John Rahm both attended Arizona State and the locals go crazy rooting for them. The ever-smiling Matt Kuchar, Bubba Watson, and Brandt Snedeker are annual fan favorites, too.
But this year, the orange clad golfer from Oklahoma State University became even more beloved by Arizona’s golf fans and the national television audience.
Rickie Fowler took the lead in the early rounds of this tournament. The 29-year old Fowler, no stranger to the winner’s circle, has already claimed four PGA tour wins during his brief career. Fowler has also participated on three Ryder Cup teams and in two President’s Cups.
This weekend, though, Rickie Fowler wore a special Puma golf cap for the fans and television cameras which showed a small picture attached to the front of his golf cap. The picture turned out to be a seven year old Phoenix boy who had befriended Fowler back in 2013.
Griffin Connell passed away about a week before this year’s golf tournament in Phoenix. Griffin had endured several surgeries attempting to help with a rare airway disorder. Rickie Fowler and Griffin traded emails and text messages over the past few years. Fowler was obviously touched by his #1 fan.
“He could care less if I played well or bad, he was always supporting us. Obviously he wanted to see me play well. (He) just kind of humbles you, grounds you a bit, and makes you realize that there’s a lot bigger things than just playing golf.”
After contending for the first three rounds, Rickie Fowler faded on Sunday’s final round with a two over-par 73 and finished tied for 11th place. If his #1 fan would have been around, Fowler would have been consoled by a hug and a smile regardless.
Don’t worry about this past weekend, Rickie. Maybe this will be the year where you will finally claim your first major golf championship.
Your rapidly growing fan club and I will certainly be pulling for you!