Rickie Fowler makes epic birdies to win dramatic Rocket Mortgage Classic in 3-man playoff

Rickie Fowler has his first win since Super Bowl Sunday in 2019.

Fowler, making his 96th start since winning the Waste Management Phoenix Open more than four years ago, sank an 11-foot, 10-inch birdie putt on the first playoff hole to defeat Collin Morikawa and Adam Hadwin in an epic finish at a soggy final round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic 2023 at the Detroit Golf Club.

Fowler will earn $1.58 million for his victory Sunday, and Morikawa and Hadwin will each take home $783,200.

It is Fowler's sixth career win on the PGA Tour, but his first since getting married and having his daughter. His caddie, Ricky Romano, jumped up and down and the crowd chanted "Rickie! Rickie!" after his winning putt sank into the cup. He finished at 24-under-par 264 for the tournament along with Morikawa and Hadwin.

"It's just nice to have this one out of the way," Fowler said. "I'm obviously gonna soak this one in and celebrate a bit. It's just been a long road and I'll get emotional at some point."

Fowler celebrated the victory with his wife, Allison and young daughter, Maya, in his arms. He said it was special having them with him on the 18th hole throughout the playoff, even though Maya may not remember it.

He accepted the trophy inside a conference room instead of on the 18th green with adoring fans due to an incoming storm. He thanked the fans for their support all week.

It was the second three-way playoff in the past three tournaments here, with Cam Davis defeating Troy Merritt and Joaquin Niemann in 2021.

Hadwin and Morikawa both hit the fairway on the first playoff hole, a replaying of No. 18. Fowler blew his drive well to the right, but found some trampled-down grass, making for a decent lie. Then, from 183 yards out, he hit his ball inside 12 feet, the closest of the three despite being the only one to miss the fairway.

Fowler got a read from Hadwin, who was about 10 feet outside of his ball. Hadwin's putt carried too much pace as it touched the hole and chased by. Morikawa was in the rough just over the top of the hole and his chip came up well short.

Fowler forced his way into the playoff with a dramatic birdie on No. 18 in regulation after coughing up the lead. He stuck his approach from 145 yards at the left fringe of the fairway to three feet, three inches. A fan favorite, he was serenaded with chants as he walked up to mark his ball, then sunk the putt after Hadwin made his four-footer for par.

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Morikawa, who last won in 2021 at the Open Championship, shot 8-under 64 to rally from four shots behind Fowler, who carded a 68 playing with two Canadians: Hadwin (67) and Taylor Pendrith (73).

Morikawa, playing two groups in front of the leaders, had a 15-foot putt in regulation for a two-shot lead on the 18th hole, but it touched the lip on the high side.

While the field struggled on the 18th, with just 10 birdies there Sunday, Fowler did not. He birdied it three straight times (including Saturday) to take a one-shot lead into the final round.

Fowler was solid until late in the back nine, when he began to slip by making par on both the par-5 14th and 17th. He did not make a birdie after the par-5 seventh until the final hole.

Morikawa hit all 14 fairways and shot up the leaderboard, weathering intermittent spouts of rain as play was moved to 6:45 a.m. from split tees and in threesomes. The leaders teed at 8:55 a.m.

Fowler, wearing his usual Sunday colors of orange and white in honor of his time at Oklahoma State, was clearly the people's champion, drawing the largest crowds of adoring fans that cheered his name at every hole throughout the weekend.

Fowler extended his lead to two strokes with a birdie on the par-4 third. His second stroke set him up for a 10-foot putt that he sank, prompting cheers from a gathering of fans that seemed to grow at each hole.

ACE ALERT: Max Homa makes hole-in-one in final round to turn exasperation into joy

Sneaking up behind Fowler and Hadwin was Morikawa. He shot 4-under 32 on the front nine and birdied the 10th to catapult up three spots into third place at 21-under. His second stroke on the par-4 13th landed just under 10 feet away from the hole and he birdied to tie Hadwin for second place.

The rain intensified as the last groups began their final holes. One stroke separated Fowler, Hadwin and Morikawa, and Adam Schenk, Taylor Moore and Peter Kuest were three behind.

The rain let up as Morikawa birdied the par-5 14th to take a co-lead. Fowler had a chance to go up by two strokes on the 14th with a nearly 70-foot putt up the hill for eagle and lagged to four feet short. Settling for the birdie attempt, the ball had too much speed as it touched the left side of the lip and went long. He made the comebacker to stay tied, and Hadwin also parred, leaving him one back.

Fowler and Morikawa each made three on the par-3 15th, but Hadwin birdied it to create a three-way tie at 23-under.

Morikawa got up to the par-5 17th green in two shots, chipped to inside three feet and birdied to climb to 24-under and knock Fowler from the lead for the first time all day.

Fowler missed the fairway by a few feet on No. 17, pulled his second into the rough short-sided, and could not get up and down. Hadwin birdied it. That set up Fowler's dramatics on the 18th hole, while Hadwin parred to force the three-way playoff.

Stephan Jäeger on Sunday tied the course record with a 9-under 63, the third player to do so this week, following Andrew Landry on Friday and Hadwin on Saturday.

Max Homa, the top-ranked player in the field this week as the World No. 9, made the first ace of the tournament on the 140-yard 15th hole. He finished tied for 21st and 15 under par after tying for 24th a year ago at 12-under.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Rickie Fowler makes epic birdies to win Rocket Mortgage Classic 2023