The Masters 2017: Rickie Fowler tied for the lead, but can he keep it?

Rickie Fowler finished the second round at 4-under for the first time in his career at a major. Will he be able to do the same going into the weekend rounds?

Rickie Fowler has shown he has tremendous talent, but what he’s been lacking is consistency. That hasn’t been the case in The Masters this year. In fact, for the better part of the second round it looked like the 28-year-old might even take the sole lead after several beautiful birdies, but then hit the ball into the pond on the 15th hole. Except this time he hit the shot back onto the green, surprising everyone with it grazing the hole by eight feet. By the end of the round he had finished a 67. Even with the occasional mistake, he kept a cool head and kept on the lead. Who is this Rickie Fowler?

A very level-headed one, it sounds like, per CBS Sports:

"“On the weekends, I tend to try and walk a little slower, make sure we’re taking our time,” said Fowler on Friday. “Because my tendency is to kind of speed up and go a little too quickly. So the more that I can slow down thoughts, my walking, and make sure that I kind of think through everything and not get too quick out there, that’s one of my keys.”"

The world No. 8 was all business as he handled the blustery conditions in the first two rounds. But on Saturday, weather at Augusta National goes back to normal and he’ll have to adjust his game. Will he be able to say on top?

“I love looking up and seeing the big leaderboards,” said Fowler after this standout performance. “It’s a cool thing about Augusta, very old school with the non‑electronic leaderboards out there. It’s a lot of fun to see your name up there, so hopefully I can go ahead and keep it up on the big leaderboards.”

All of a sudden he’s the lead favorite to win too. Prior to the Open he had a 1-in-94 chance in winning, now it’s 7-2, ahead of Jordan Spieth, who was the betting favorite a week ago, but trails the leader by four shots.

Fowler’s certainly erased the record from last year, where he didn’t even make the cut at the 2016 tournament. And in 2014, he’s the only golfer to have achieved top five finishes at all four majors without a title to go with it. The pro golfer has had a reputation of being unable to close. Will he do it this time? He’s never had a lead like this before. One thing’s on his side: he’s come to Augusta with a recent first win and consistent top finishes all season. It does seem to be his year to win his first major.

“But, hey, it’s tough out here,” Fowler said at the start of the week. “I’m thinking that the way my game is and where it’s likely to go is going to give me some opportunities.”

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“Your day is coming, and very soon,” Rory McIroy wrote to him three years ago as they traded congratulatory tweets. Fowler then toasted McIlroy for winning back-to-back British and PGA Championships and had his four top five finishes in majors, in his breakthrough year of 2014.

Maybe on Sunday Fowler’s day will come.