When tournament officials of the American Express announced in December that several big-name players would play their event this week, there was excitement for the added names. But there was no guarantee that those players would be part of the title chase, either.
But after 36 holes of the American Express, tournament officials are likely smiling broadly that two of those big names, Rickie Fowler and Tony Finau, are not just playing well but are in the title mix.
Fowler, who hasn’t played in the desert tournament since 2014, fired an 8-under 64 on Friday to share the 36-hole lead at 15-under 129 with Scottie Scheffler. Finau, who has been hit or miss with the desert event over recent years, carded a 62 in the second round to move up to 13-under for the tournament and alone in fourth place. The 62 was the best round of the week.
Leaderboard: The American Express
“It was nice to get a little work in, get some good practice and play out here in the desert to get used to being back in the desert,” Fowler said after his round. “I grew up playing a lot of junior golf out here in the summers, so I played a lot of courses around Palm Desert, Palm Springs, La Quinta, Indio, all over. So I know I can play well out here and obviously in a very comfortable place.”
Birdie run spurs Finau
Finau’s 62, including birdies on five of his last six holes, came on the same Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA West that Fowler played Friday. At No. 15, Finau is the highest-ranked player in the Official World Golf Rankings in the tournament field. Fowler, at 22nd, is one of four players in the top 25 of the rankings playing in the Coachella Valley this week.
“I don’t really know,” Finau said of his strong play after a stretch of traveling 30,000 miles to play four weeks in a row. “You’re just playing and sometimes you get over a golf ball and it’s nice to have the feeling of knowing where it’s going. And then I was able to hit some putts that started on my line, and you’re at the mercy of the greens, and today the putts fell.”
For the star power that Fowler and Finau bring to the field – including their recent performances for the winning United States team in the Presidents Cup – they are still bunched with plenty of accomplished but lesser-known players at the midway point of the $6.7 million tournament.
Playing in the same course rotation as Fowler and Finau, Scheffler matched Fowler’s 65-64 start to share the lead despite a double bogey in his Friday round. Landry, who lost the tournament title in a four-hole playoff with Jon Rahm two years ago, shot a 64 at La Quinta Country Club to reach 14 under. Then comes Finau at 13 under, Bud Cauley at 12 under and six players tied at 11 under.
Another big-name player in the field, Paul Casey, managed to get to 9 under with a 67 on the Nicklaus Tournament Course on Friday. But tournament host Phil Mickelson was just even-par Friday and 2 under for the tournament. Francesco Molinari is at 1 under through 36 holes.
Fowler loves playing the desert
While Fowler played plenty of golf in the desert in his youth, he hasn’t played much on the Stadium Course at PGA West. But Fowler, Finau and Scheffler will get quite familiar with the Stadium Course and Pete Dye’s devilish design over the next two days. Landry will move to the Nicklaus Tournament Course on Saturday, then to the Stadium Course for the final round.
“I don’t think these golf courses necessarily are ones that you need to see prior, in a way, driving around is enough,” Fowler said. “It’s more about control and hitting your lines. Really that can be the case for 90 percent of the golf courses, but these golf courses I think do a really good job of telling you where you need to hit it and with the greens being so small you get it on a lot of the surfaces, and you’re going to have a pretty good look.”
Finau said he was excited at the prospect of consecutive rounds on the Stadium as one of the leaders.
“That’s what you got to do. You got to make a lot of birdies out here,” Finau said. “You know that starting the week. Sometimes emotionally and mentally that can be tough, but I’m happy with that round today. It put me right in the mix.
“Thirty-six holes on the Stadium, a golf course I’m very familiar with. I got through here in qualifying school in 2013, so I’ve got some good vibes on that golf course and hopefully I can show that this weekend.”
For Fowler, the first two rounds showed his game is trending well for starts in San Diego and Phoenix the next two weeks. But there is still work to do on his game, he said.
“I looked at this two-week stretch and playing here as a way of getting the season started off right, getting into a good spot with the game and ultimately going into Farmers and Waste Management, two places where I know I can go play well and win,” Fowler said. “Because I think we’re right where we want to be.”
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