July 18, 2025: Former Oklahoma State Cowboy Rickie Fowler is off to a strong start at The Open, shooting a 2-under 69 in the opening round at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland. That performance puts him in a tie for 10th place—well within striking distance of the leaders.
In a historic twist, five players share the lead at 4-under, marking the first time since 1938 that such a logjam has topped the leaderboard after Round 1.
Fowler’s presence at The Open this year is thanks to his top-10 finish at the Memorial Tournament, securing his 13th career appearance and second consecutive trip to the championship. His comfort at Royal Portrush is no surprise—he finished tied for sixth here back in 2019.
Fowler has long been a reliable performer at The Open, tallying four top-15 finishes, including a runner-up spot in 2014.
“I love playing over here,” Fowler said after his round. “It’s a style of golf I love to play. I know I can compete in any style of golf, but especially this. It’s nice to get off to a solid start, because you can take yourself out of the tournament pretty quickly with a poor round.”
Fowler tees off for Round 2 at 1:08 a.m. Central Time, looking to stay in contention heading into the weekend.