The war isn’t over – not by a long way – but the roommate battle was won by Rickie Fowler on Friday at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.
Fowler and the player in second, 2017 PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas, are sharing a house this week and the dinner table talk is lifting Fowler to his best.
The 30-year-old missed a late chance to enjoy solo leadership on Thursday, but that wasn’t the case in round two as he rattled off four birdies to finish. The result? A one-shot lead over Thomas and the bragging rights around the dinner table.
‘Getting to play with your buddies, those are the people you want to lose to the least,’ said Fowler.
‘So having bragging rights right now – we have a long way to go, there’s a lot of golf to be played – that will be fun. I definitely don’t want him out in front of me.’
Thomas two-putted for birdie on the 15th and closed with four pars to take the lead before his friend’s strong finish.
‘No matter what we shot, it was going to be a good time, but it’s a little nicer knowing that we’re both sleeping in and playing in the last pairing,’ said Thomas.
The pair will be joined in Saturday’s final group by South African Branden Grace.
