Fowler builds 4-shot lead at Honda

And then it was. He has four now, the latest a attractive crystal one that sat at his feet Sunday evening as he talked about a demanding and grueling day on a golf course that Graeme McDowell says “asks a lot of questions”. Fowler’s companion in the final pair, Tyrrell Hatton, narrowly missed a 30-foot birdie putt that would have tied him with Hoffmann and Woodland in second.

The bad news is that Fowler has never converted a 54-hole lead into a win.

On the 10th hole, having turned in 2-over 37, it was time for a pep talk. However, he followed with a bogey to finish the front nine. He lost a stroke to the field in the final round off the tee after gaining one or more in each of the first three days. Needing to make something happen as he got to the back nine, Fowler knocked down a 38-footer at the 12th, and a 23-footer at 13.

Not since his one-shot win at the Deutsche Bank Championship in September 2015 had Fowler lifted a trophy on Tour. “I hit good putts on 14, 15, 16, 17”. It was tough out there today. He worked really hard for this, and it paid off’.

“I don’t know. I think injury has a lot to do with it, but the injury is not just his body, but his mind”, Nicklaus said during the broadcast. “That’s what I try and do every week”, Hatton said. Lahiri shot 1-over 71 in the final round, finishing with an overall score of 5-under 275, seven strokes behind eventual victor Rickie Fowler, who also shot 1-over 71 in the final round, which helped him to a 4-shot win. Translation: He putted out of his mind.

Fowler said the Sunday round was not easy. From 182 yards away, Fowler stuck it to three feet.

“This is something we needed going into Augusta”, Fowler said. “It was nearly in gimmie range”. You win from behind, and you learn to compete wisely with a lead in hand. Jordan Spieth was six shots clear at Pebble Beach, while Dustin Johnson was up by five shots at Riviera, both going on to win. It’s only February 26th!

He went over the green on the par-4 fourth and tried to putt it up the slope, except that it went into a sprinkler hole and led to bogey.

Harrington was one of five former Honda champions to fail to get to the weekend. I saw Gary was making a late run and I just had to hold on. – Adam Scott was not feeling his best Thursday at PGA National, but it had nothing to do with overexertion.

The finish was not what he wanted – a tee shot into the water on the par-3 17th for a bogey, a wedge into the bunker on the par-5 18th for another bogey, and yet another round over par – 1-over 71 – in a final round when he had the lead. “It was a little deflating on 18”.

But he was at his best on the par 5s.

Instead, those chasing him had the biggest problems with the closing stretch at PGA National.

“I’m pretty much done with it”.

Gribble has already won this season, taking the Sanderson Farms Championship, while Bryan contended last week at the Genesis Open before finishing tied for fourth in his 13th PGA Tour start.

Sergio Garcia (T14): Weird week for Garcia. Garcia still has one of my favorite shot trajectories in the sport, but he putted terribly all week (outside the top 60). They’re not a good organization, and you can quote me on that.