Ewen Murray reflects on one of the most exciting finishes ever seen at TPC Sawgrass, and he believes Rickie Fowler's sensational win can usher in a new era in American golf.
At sunrise in Jacksonville, the day following Rickie Fowler's dramatic win at the Players Championship, I'm sure I wasn't the only one who thought it was a dream.
Last Sunday at Sawgrass will go down as one of the iconic final rounds on the PGA Tour. Fowler's fabulous finish at the TPC course was the best in 33 years. In regulation play, he limited himself to just 17 shots for the final six holes. He birdied the notorious 17th five times during the week. He birdied it three times on Sunday, the last of these ending the chances of the very impressive Kevin Kisner.
That final two at Pete Dye's most devilish creation gave Rickie his second win on Tour, but in truth, it gave him so much more. The manner in which he won will stay with him the next time he finds himself in a winning position in a major championship. That will be sooner rather than later.
To be able to produce golf of that quality on a tough course against a strong field will give him eternal belief and of course winning, breeds confidence, something that may have been lacking over the past three seasons.
Article dismissed
Much was made of an anonymous poll between players, stating that Rickie and Ian Poulter were the two most overrated players in the game. The poll was 'anonymous' and, therefore, irrelevant. Until someone puts their name to that article, it should be dismissed. It also has no place in the story of the 2015 Players Championship.
Having had the privilege of watching all the drama unfold and witnessing such brilliance from Fowler, I awakened to read the national paper on Monday and found most of the columns were dedicated to Tiger Woods, "celebrating the progress in his game".
Tiger said: "The part of my game that pleased me most was my driving". For the record, Tiger finished on 291, three over par. Only four players finished lower. This week, Woods lies in 133rd position in the world rankings. Why this news took precedence over, arguably, the most exciting tournament in decades was more than surprising.
I may be in the minority, but having seen all of Tiger's great triumphs, and there have been many, I recieve no enjoyment watching nearly every shot when he is struggling and then listening to how well he is "progressing". We all know how magical he was. He set the standard high and he has to live by that.
The next time I see Woods on TV, or read about him in the papers, my wish would be that it's because he is in contention and close to the champion golfer of old.
Can he win again? Yes he can, he's the best player of my generation, but only if he is honest with himself. His driving was embarrassing in Florida and I need not add to that. I just wish the TV and media would let him be. It would help the speed of his recovery and we could concentrate on those who have a say in who wins the tournament we watch.
New era
America is at the beginning of a new era and all of their focus should be on the young impressive stars that have emerged. Fowler joined the list of multi-talented youngsters on Sunday. A list that includes the likes of Jordan Spieth, Billy Horschel, Brooks Koepka, Ben Martin and a young man by the name of Justin Thomas who I have no doubt will win in the weeks ahead. It's an exciting time for the PGA Tour and the new wave, I'm sure, won't disappoint.
As a commentator, you get pictures and storylines like the ones at the Players once every few years. To have Butch Harmon alongside me while one of his charges was creating history was special. Butch of course is a superb tutor, but he is so much more than that.
He is steeped in the sport, truly loves the game and coaching youngsters like Rickie Fowler keeps him younger than his seventy odd years. His excitement level on Sunday was a joy to watch. He must have gone through every emotion during these magnificent closing moments. Long may he continue in his role at Sky.
For those of you burned the midnight oil last week, I'm sure the 2015 Players Championship will live long in the memory. Commiserations to a gallant Garcia and Kevin Kisner, they did little wrong, but this was the week Rickie Fowler came of age.
This week, we go to Charlotte this week for the Wells Fargo, which up until last Sunday, was Rickie Fowler's only Tour victory. He goes to Quail Hollow as one of the best 10 players in the world. If you haven't seen this course before, you will enjoy it. It has a British parkland look and feel to it and is highly regarded by the Tour players.
I can't promise you the dramatic scenes and storylines of Sawgrass, but I look forward to your company over the four days in North Carolina.