Roundup: Rickie Fowler's Unforgettable 2015 Players Win

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So much contributed to the 2015 Players going down as the most exciting fifth of four majors anyone can remember.

--The first three days featured a leaderboard--close your eyes family and friends--that did not inspire. The prospects for Sunday fun were dim, at best.

--The course was lacking openings freeing the players to attack, despite perfect weather and excellent conditioning by Tom Vlach's team. Sunday's setup by the rules staff's Gary Young and Robby Ware opened up enough doors to let the players perform. What a joy seeing so many clutch shots by such a range of protagonists.

--The outrage over golf.com's poll. So much for print and internet media irrelevance. Moreso, Rickie has been overhyped at times, in part because he kindly lends his likeness to PSA's and grow-the game stuff in addition to his corporate partnerships. He's ubiquitous, at times. So the wake-up call he received from the poll, or perhaps from Michael Bamberger's quietly unflattering SI story, made him dig deep and tap his incredible talent. Stop the rage! Be grateful for the fuel.

--One of those classic telecasts from NBC that at times seemed almost cinematic in the synchronization of camera shots, announcer observations, sound and that mystical late light. (If you missed it, Alex Myers did a nice job last week covering all elements of the well-oiled NBC machine.)

In case you missed the fun, Golf Channel will be replaying the back nine and playoff Monday night at 9 p.m. ET. Rickie is also coming on Morning Drive Monday to chat about the win. I know, because he will be taking the 8:20 a.m. ET slot normally occupied by yours truly. 

If you missed out entirely but can't wait to find out what happened: Rickie Fowler finished birdie, eagle, birdie, birdie to post a final-round 66 and finish at 12-under-par before winning in a sudden death playoff over Kevin Kisner and Sergio Garcia.

Doug Ferguson's AP lede played off of the poll outrage.

The latest survey was unanimous, not anonymous. Rickie Fowler can deliver the goods.

Hank Gola in his New York Daily News lede agreed that the player poll should be credited with inspiring the win, not condemned.

Let’s take that Sports Illustrated poll over again, the one where PGA Tour players named Rickie Fowler most overrated.

Or maybe Fowler should thank his peers for it. It may have transformed him from Mr. Nice Guy into a cold-blooded killer.

Mike McCallister at PGATour.com on the overrated tag.

Overrated doesn’t play the final six holes of the Stadium Course in 6 under. Overrated doesn’t flinch when he must deliver a shot of a lifetime onto a little island green. Overrated doesn’t claim the TOUR’s biggest tournament prize on a hot, humid Mother’s Day, daylight rapidly sneaking away, pressure turned to maximum levels.

“I really don’t know the whole story, but I heard the remnants of it this weekend,” Kisner replied when asked about the poll. “Obviously, he’s not overrated….

“What is he supposed to be rated? What’s the threshold here on who calls what’s overrated? I wouldn’t get too worried about that.”

Most amazing of all the things that happened Sunday: Rickie's play on the island green 17th. Rex Hoggard at GolfChannel.com notes:

In the first aggregate, three-hole playoff in Players history, Fowler and Kisner birdied the second overtime hole (No. 17) and finished tied at 1 under par, a stroke clear of Garcia. At the first sudden-death playoff hole (No. 17) Fowler hit his tee shot to 4 feet and converted the birdie putt for his second Tour victory in his 142nd career start.

That’s three tee shots at No. 17 all within 7 feet for birdie ... in the same day.

Adam Schupak at Golfweek.com on the 17th hole play:

So the first three-hole aggregate playoff in tournament history sent a threesome to play Nos. 16, 17 and 18. Garcia checked out with three pars because Kisner and Fowler made birdies at the 17th to finish the three holes at 1 under. In sudden death at 17, Fowler took dead aim and knocked a gap wedge to 5 feet.

"That was a sick shot he hit on 17," Kisner said. "That's pretty dadgum good."

Here is PGATour.com's final statistical tally for 17, which averaged under par both weekend days.

Fowler's finish will go down in history, wrote Cameron Morfit at golf.com:

Fowler went 6 under par for his last six holes of regulation—his total of 11 strokes on holes 15-18 is the lowest score on those holes in any single round in tournament history—and 2 under for his four extra holes.

Randall Mell with a solid column on the day that also includes an embed of Todd Lewis’s interview of Rickie.
And this on Rickie’s mom and sister making an epic airport turnaround…

His mother, Lynn, and his sister, Taylor, were staying in villas near the course. They had a Mother’s Day lunch with Rickie and his girlfriend, Alexis Randock, and shortly after they headed to the Jacksonville Airport to catch a United flight home.

Lynn said they had checked their baggage at about 5 p.m. for a 7 p.m. flight when she received a text message as they were heading to the security lines.

“It got a text saying Rickie just stuck it to 2 feet at the 16th,” Lynn said. “We figured we should get back.”

There was a challenge getting back. Lynn and Taylor weren’t alone. Their arms were still full after checking in with Lynn’s two shih tzus. Still, she called PGA Tour’s transportation company, and she was told there were cars still there at the airport. A valet whisked a car over.

“Taylor jumped in the driver’s seat, and we threw the dogs in the car,” Lynn said.

Throughout the drive back to the golf course, Lynn busily texted friends for updates.

“I don’t follow social media,” Lynn said.

Speaking of mom and Mother's Day, Jason Sobel also writes about Lynn and why she was off to the airport.

"The whole thing, the pieces just weren't falling into place," she said of his title contention. "It was just another day, same routine."

It was supposed to be something special.

Rickie had turned Mother's Day into Mother's Weekend, taking Lynne to a nice dinner on Friday night to celebrate. He gave her what she called a "sweet" card on Sunday morning, but that's all she wanted. The gifts stopped there. His mother wanted the rest of the day to be about him.

And so after she received the card, she sent him a text message.

"Mother's Day for me was Friday," it read. "Today is your day. Do this for you."

And about that drive back from the airport, Sean Martin profiles mom and sister and explains how they got back in time.

Lynn called the PGA TOUR travel department to get a car to drive to the course. She was able to procure one of the tournament’s courtesy cars, which players were dropping off at the airport as they headed out of town. Lynn and Taylor put their carry-on luggage and dogs in their car, then headed for the course. Taylor drove.

“She can handle herself behind the wheel,” Rickie said. “We grew up riding and racing dirt bikes.”

Alex Myers on Rickie’s popularity with fans and peers.

To youngsters, Rickie Fowler needs just one name to be identified, unlike the previous two Players champs. But his supporters extend well beyond the children decked out in orange shirts and flat-brim caps.

First, fellow players like Bubba Watson, Billy Horschel and Zach Johnson rushed over to congratulate and encourage Fowler. Then fans young and old chanted his name on No. 17 in the playoff. They chanted it again as he walked the tunnel to the 18th tee. And most importantly, they chanted it when he finally won on perhaps the wildest day in the history of golf's unofficial fifth major.

Bill Cooney with Rickie's final stats for the week compared to the field leaders.

Helen Ross and Sean Martin with several notes on players who made runs at the 2015 Players, as well as positive reviews for the three-hole aggregate playoff format. Ross also writes about the two playoff runner-ups, Kisner and Garcia. Kisner's clutch play will not be forgotten anytime soon, nor will Sergio's shoeless shot off a cart path.

The kiss Rickie planted on his girlfriend Alexis Randock and her choice of attire attracted plenty of social media attention, writes Steve Hennessey.

As the final round was playing out the TNT NBA guys were supposed to be watching basketball but Charles Barkley admitted he was watching the golf in a typically fun exchange.

The only downside of the day came with heckling of Sergio Garcia by drunkards, something I saw earlier in the week and not well controlled by the PGA Tour that is so obsessed with getting younger fans out that Deputy Commish Jay Monahan gave the young fans who attended a special shout out in the trophy ceremony. Millennialism or not, I'm not sure why security can't be more assertive with the loudmouths. Bob Harig at ESPN.com wrote about the nonsense Garcia had to put up with Sunday.

"Obviously some guys there that don't deserve to be here watching golf,'' Garcia said afterward.

He didn't need to say anything. Anyone who was on the grounds following Garcia and Justin Thomas could see it and hear it. Garcia is the modern-day Colin Montgomerie, the Scotsman who suffered through his share of abuse when on American soil, especially in the Ryder Cup.

It was lousy then and it is lousy now.

Sergio will at least have his birdie putt on 17 to look back on.

Remember, Ricky birdied the 17th hole three times Sunday. Three times!

The final round highlights from PGA Tour Entertainment: