When Nature Calls
Rickie Fowler blames bathroom emergency for bogey-bogey finish to first round at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Rickie Fowler has been red hot of late. Since missing the cut at the PGA Championship at Oak Hill, Fowler hasn’t finished outside the top 15 in a PGA Tour event. He led most of the way at LACC before fading down the stretch, a major title alluding him yet again. Despite that disappointment, Fowler’s run of results has seen him climb all the way to 35th in the Official World Golf Rankings, a stunning rebound from just two years ago when his game had seemingly bottomed out.
On the back of his recent form, Fowler entered the Rocket Mortgage Classic as one of the favorites and through 16 holes on Thursday, he looked like it, roaring out to a seven-under start. Unfortunately that's where Fowler stumbled, finishing bogey-bogey after a chance encounter with one of golf's greatest foes:
The dreaded bathroom emergency.
As anyone who has spent weeks, months and maybe even years of their life on the golf course can tell you, every now and then nature calls, and when it does you have no choice but to answer. Depending on the severity of your situation, it can be tough to uncork a tee shot, finesse a tricky chip or stand in over a tough putt. Now imagine all of this is going on in front of hundreds of strangers with live TV cameras rolling and you have a pretty good idea of what Fowler was dealing with Thursday.
The good news is that he made it back to the clubhouse facilities in one piece and is still in the hunt at five under. Maybe he’ll remember to pack the Pepto on Friday.