Rickie Fowler wins PGA Tour event in Boston after Henrik Stenson’s slip-up

After the biggest win of his career at the Players Championship back in May, Fowler was victorious at the Deutsche Bank Championship this weekend. Three in the FedEx Cup standings behind Jason Day and Jordan Spieth.

At The Players Championship in Norton, Mass., he finished birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie and then won a three-hole playoff over Sergio Garcia and Kevin Kisner.

“I holed some putts, finally”, said McIlroy, who totaled a 3-under 281 for the tournament to tie for 29th. Henrik Stenson took home second place after entering the day with a one-stroke lead over Fowler.

“It’s pretty special to fight it out like that”, Fowler said.

“I was really trying to get the most out of the round and I was trying to think through every shot”. He showed something overtaking Stenson, a ball-striking machine. But it was an error-free performance on the back nine, which enhanced the 26-year-old’s growing reputation as a nerveless finisher.

With all due respect to the solid, stoic Swede (we’ve loved Stenson since he donated $25,000 to The One Fund after winning this event in 2013) it was more fun to see Fowler prevail.

The top 70 in points move on to the BMW Championship.

Sean O’Hair has not won since the 2011 Canadian Open and is unlikely to hold himself together in a tight finish. The race for the FedEx Cup title will come down to the wire.

“This is bonus material, here”, Fowler said. Stenson recovered but missed a long birdie putt, leaving Fowler to two-putt from 10 feet to win. He didn’t exactly stumble around TPC Boston, but his putter was nowhere near as hot as it has been. Therefore, that kind of freed him up. Celebrity. Star power. A little more Kardashian, if you don’t mind.

It’s helping Fowler trust he can handle the pressure and the nerves that come with the big moments.

Things looked a bit shaky for Fowler early Monday. A bogey on the fourth was cancelled out by a birdie on the fifth to leave him two shots clear of Fowler at the turn. He has the ability to relish all the adrenaline that comes doing so. It also assures him a spot in the top five at the season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta – and a chance to win its $10 million prize. It didn’t help him in the final round against Woods at the Memorial three years ago, when he shot 84.

After his press conference, Fowler sent a case of champagne to the media. In fact, Fowler was so exhilarated by his victory, he sent a dozen bottles of pricey Tatinger champagne to the pressroom, then stepped away from his post round obligations to grab a microphone and personally toast good fortune and thanks to the assembled media.

“All of them were probably his best swings of the day”, said caddie Joe Skovron. “Some guys, it bothers them. He just hasn’t been in that moment a lot”.

Despite making an impression on his debut at the majors this year with a tied-14 finish at the US Open and a tied-10th finish at Whistling Straits in August, Tony Finau has some ground to make up after dropping nine places to 41 in the rankings.