Rickie Fowler received a special exemption to play in the 2021 PGA Championship.
And did he ever make the most of it.
Fowler, a fan-favorite, has struggled with his game for quite some time. His last top-10 finish was a T10 at the American Express back in January of 2020.
But that all changed at Kiawah Island.
The 32-year-old opened the tournament with a 1-under 71 on Thursday. Things were bumpy in Round 2 with a 4-over 76, but he made the cut at 3-over par.
On Saturday, Fowler fired his best round of the week – 1 3-under 69 to get to even par through 54 holes.
In the final round, Fowler was nearly flawless. He made birdies on Nos. 3 and 16, but finished off with a bogey on the 18th for the third straight day and a 1-under 71 to tie for eighth.
It was Fowler’s best finish in a major since a runner-up showing at the 2018 Masters won by Patrick Reed.
