Rickie Fowler posted the round of the day Saturday, a 4-under 68, to take a one-shot lead at the Wells Fargo Championship. Here’s what You Oughta Know heading into Sunday at Quail Hollow, where Fowler looks to win for the second time.
• Believe it or not, this is Fowler’s first 54-hole lead since 2011. A younger Fowler went 0 for 2 in first two attempts to close. Of course, he’s a much different player now, one who converted a 54-hole lead into a win in Abu Dhabi earlier this year.
• After winning his first PGA Tour title at the Wells Fargo in 2012, Fowler went three years without a victory, ending that draught in dramatic fashion at the Players last year. A win tomorrow would give Fowler his fifth worldwide win in the last year and advance him to fourth in the Official World Golf Ranking.
• Some reasons Fowler’s on top through 54: he leads the field in ball striking, total driving and strokes gained-tee to green. He’s played his last 39 holes 9 under.
• One back, Roberto Castro will play in the final group on Sunday for the third time in his PGA Tour career. His best finish is a runner-up at the 2013 Quicken Loans National. A win Sunday would get Castro into next week’s Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass, where he owns a share of the course record on both the Stadium and Valley courses.
• Just two back, Justin Rose has won at least one Tour title every year since 2010, a streak he’d continue with a win tomorrow. Said streak is the second-longest active on Tour; Dustin Johnson has won in each of the last eight seasons.
• If not for the 18th hole, it would be Rose at the top of the leaderboard. He’s played the home hole 4 over this week and the rest of the golf course 11 under.
• James Hahn entered this week having missed his last eight consecutive cuts. He’s now in the mixfor his second Tour title after breaking through last year at Riviera.
• The 18- and 36-hole leader Andrew Loupe is one of only two players in the top 25 on Tour in both strokes gained-putting and driving distance. The other? Dustin Johnson.
• Phil Mickelson finished with a quadruple bogey on 18 to shoot 4-over 76. Lefty put the ball in the creek left of the green, took a drop, chipped back and forth across the green and two-putted for his worst score in 918 holes played at Quail Hollow.
Information courtesy Golf Channel’s Editorial Research Unit