Rickie Fowler wins Waste Management Phoenix Open in dramatic fashion after bizarre collapse

It looked all but over for Rickie Fowler at the 11th hole, after squandering a four-margin lead with a triple bogey at the water hazard.

Rickie Fowler started out the final day of the Waste Management Phoenix Open with a commanding four-shot lead, an impressive -20, over the rest of the field and the tournament was considered his to win or lose.

Rain wreaked havoc on the fourth day, and the 30 year-old golfer decided to play it safe, playing at even par throughout the day, maintaining his awesome lead. It was a pretty smart tactic considering that everyone seemed to be having an off day with the disruptive weather. Looking shaky when play started, Fowler simply needed to remain composed for the remainder. Through the front nine, this looked to be the case, with Fowler calming his nerves to retain control of the leader board.

That is, until Fowler got to the 11th hole. The American golfer continued with his strategy and hit a safe drive to the right. But then disaster struck, with Fowler’s ball not going once into the water, but twice. A tournament official was called to the scene, with NBC announcers delaying posting his score because no one was sure how many strokes the disaster on the 11th had cost him.

When the winner was asked after the tournament about this, he answered, “It wasn’t fun.”

Once the triple bogey was posted, just like that, Rickie Fowler’s spectacular lead vanished, even with him finishing the hole with a pretty beautiful putt. Four strokes disappeared into thin air.

Another bogey on the 13th, and everyone assumed that Rickie Fowler was choking. Again.

We had been here before. It was shades of 2016, when Fowler blew a two-shot lead, only to watch Hidecki Matsuyama walk away with the trophy on that Sunday at the same tournament.

Compatriots Matt Kuchar and Justin Thomas had been chasing Fowler all day, but failed to capitalize on the change in atmosphere. South Africa’s Branden Grace, however, did, and hightailed a stroke above Fowler, until running into trouble himself on the par 4 17th.

Rickie Fowler rallied to put himself neck-and-neck with Grace, and exceeded everyone’s expectations by taking advantage himself, and putting himself in a two-stroke lead position once he got to the 18th. After shooting into the church pews of the fairway bunker on the last hole, tensions rose, with fans wondering if Fowler would put them through the stress of witnessing the golfing talent give it away. Again.

He didn’t.

ickie Fowler closed it out with a beautiful, par finish, and put his arms up in celebration. He did not choke, and he cinched his fifth PGA victory. It was a dramatic, turbulent day of golf, but there was no question about Fowler’s steely mind to bring home the awesome finish to the day at -17. The California native posted a stunning 64, 65, 64 the first three days, and survived a 75 on the last.

Rickie Fowler snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.