DUBLIN, Ohio — Rickie Fowler, the new kid in golf, gave himself a chance Friday to be the next kid to win on the PGA Tour.
Fowler, 21, ran off three straight birdies late in his round for a 6-under-par 66 to tie the 36-hole record at the Memorial Tournament and take a three-shot lead over Justin Rose into the weekend at soggy Muirfield Village.
Fowler was at 13-under 131. That tied the tournament record set by Scott Hoch in 1987.
Youth has been all the rage on the PGA Tour over the last month, with Rory McIlroy winning at Quail Hollow two days before his 21st birthday, and Jason Day winning the Byron Nelson Championship two weeks ago at age 22.
They both turned pro three years ago. Fowler didn’t turn pro until last summer, yet he already has lost in a playoff last fall and finished one shot behind in the Phoenix Open in February.
“Just being in contention the few times I have over the last eight months, this is by far the best I’ve felt,” Fowler said.
Defending champion Tiger Woods is starting to feel a little better too.
Woods was just inside the projected cut line when he started, and with his lackluster play on a course that can penalize errant shots, there was some question whether he would be around for all four rounds in his final event before the U.S. Open.
Those questions didn’t last long. He birdied three of the opening five holes, then ran off three straight birdies on his front nine to offset the few mistakes for a 69. He was at 3-under 141, 10 shots behind, but still playing.
Phil Mickelson, who has another chance to become No. 1 with a victory, was headed in that direction with a birdie-birdie-eagle stretch on the front nine, only to give it back by missing one par putt after another on the back nine. He closed with two straight birdies for a wild round of 71 that put him at 6-under 138, still in the game but seven shots behind.
Jim Furyk missed a short birdie putt on the final hole and had to settle for a 67, leaving him in the group at 9-under 135 that included Tim Petrovic, who matched Fowler’s 66.
Footnotes.
Tommy Armour III matched the course record with an 8-under 63 to take a three-stroke lead over Dan Forsman and Russ Cochran after the first round of the Principal Charity Classic at the Glen Oaks Country Club in West Des Moines, Iowa.
• Marcel Siem (67) and Andrew Doht (70) are tied for the lead at 6-under 136 after the second round of the Wales Open at Celtic Manor.
