LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England – There are American golfers who never get accustomed to playing links golf. There are those who embrace it later in their careers. And there are those who love the concept from the first time they play it.
Count Rickie Fowler among the last group.
“Yeah, I love links golf, probably my favorite,” he said Wednesday in advance of the Open Championship. “I like the amount of options you have while out playing a links golf course. … You can be as creative as you want and hit a variety of shots throughout the round.”
In two career Open starts, Fowler has shown a propensity for not only enjoying links golf, but playing it well, too.
In his debut at St. Andrews in 2010, he opened with a 79, only to come back to finish T-14. Last year at Royal St. George’s, he finished in a share of fifth place.
“Maybe if I didn’t turn around from the 79 at St. Andrews and struggled, it could have been a different story,” he conceded. “Since I’ve turned around from that, it’s been a lot of fun playing over here and I definitely enjoy links golf.”