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By Ken Klavon, USGA
Ardmore, Pa. – Great Britain and Ireland’s Sam Hutsby didn’t have a chance to elect his allegorical poison in Saturday afternoon’s singles match against Rickie Fowler.
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| Sam Hutsby chips toward the first hole in Saturday's singles match. (John Mummert/USGA) |
Just as well. The buzzsaw that was Fowler never gave him an option, really, winning resoundingly. The match ended on the 12th hole at Merion Golf Club with the 20-year-old Fowler, of Murrieta, Calif., posting a 7-and-6 thumping. At the time, it had pushed the USA's overall lead to 4-1. The USA enters Sunday with an 8-4 cushion and need only five points to retain the United State Golf Association International Challenge Trophy.
Between the butterflies in his stomach and Fowler’s unblemished performance, Hutsby all but had the GB&I flag, sans the colors, waving by the time the two traipsed onto the 10th hole as Fowler had methodically assembled a 4-up lead. Fowler was so smooth in doing so that Hutsby never felt the blows. He was too preoccupied with trying to find the tunnel vision needed to concentrate on the job at hand.
“It was the biggest crowd I had ever played in front of,” said Hutsby, 20, of England. “It was a new experience.”
On paper the match had the makings of a suspenseful encounter. Hutsby came in as the highest-ranked player on the GB&I squad and with a resume that would support such a notion. Earlier in the year he won the European Nations Cup and notched runner-up finishes at the British Amateur Championship and the Spanish Amateur. He plans on turning professional later this year.
Fowler, who will forego his junior and senior years at Oklahoma State University to also go pro, decided to remain an amateur as a favor to USA Captain George “Buddy” Marucci. Fowler went 3-1 under Marucci’s leadership in the 2007 USA Walker Cup victory. In his first year at OSU, he won the Phil Mickelson Award, which is annually given to the nation’s top freshman. He also became the first frosh to win the Ben Hogan Award, distributed annually to the top men’s collegiate player. In Saturday's morning foursomes, he and Bud Cauley teamed up to trounce Luke Goddard and Dale Whitnell, 6 and 5.
Unfortunately, the match didn’t live up to such hefty expectations. Hutsby took the defeat in stride, strolling off the 12th green after congratulating Fowler and smiling like someone who had helplessly slid down a greased pole.
“Rickie is a fantastic player. You need to be on your game with him. I think I tried to force the issue too many times where I was trying to get tap-ins,” said Hutsby, who lost his morning foursomes match paired with Wallace Booth of Scotland.
Did the outcome surprise Fowler?
“A little bit,” he said. “He struggled all day, but he battled to the end.”
A smile formed on Fowler's face when someone mentioned that he's been the first one done in both of his matches and hasn't had to play beyond the 13th hole.
If the singles match had to be summed up in less than 20 words, it would be this: Fowler played the equivalent of level par, with all the normal match-play concessions. Hutsby was six over.
Fowler won six holes with pars and two with birdies.
When Marucci announced eight of the 10 players to make the team this summer, he hinted that he’d look to Fowler and Brian Harman to provide leadership. Fowler hasn’t disappointed. He’s at peace on the course, knowing full well how nervous he felt in the 2007 Match. Peter Uihlein told Fowler after his morning foursomes victory that he barely could keep it together through the first five holes. Fowler was the same way in 2007, he said. During Friday evening’s team dinner, he quietly took notice of several first-time players’ demeanor. He sensed anxiousness. He moved quickly to put them at ease, telling them to soak up the experience.
“I told [the team] that’s how you’ll remember this experience. You’ll have the most fun you’ll ever have on, slash, off the golf course,” said Fowler.
Fowler’s caddie, Billy Dell’osa, has been lugging bags at Merion for 30 years. He watched Fowler’s routine through the first day and has saw no panic – at any time.
“I would say one word: spectacular,” said Dell’osa, 43, when asked how to describe Fowler’s systematic approach. “He has an amazing view of everything. He executes what he’s trying to do 99 percent of the time.”
That’s a pleasant thought for the USA team. For Hutsby and the GB&I lineup, they may be powerless to stop it.
Ken Klavon is the USGA's Editor of Digital Media. E-mail him with questions or comments at kklavon@usga.org.
