U.S. Open: Can Rickie Fowler Take Oakmont?

“A major will come. If I put the last two years together, that would equal a major this year, but they don’t come that easy. So we’ve got some work to do, and looking forward to chasing those guys down. Like I was just talking about, we’re all good buddies. We all feed off each other, and we enjoy getting to play each other and the competition.”

Those were the words of Rickie Fowler this week at Oakmont, site of the 116th U.S. Open. Fowler tees it up with Rory McIlroy and Masters champ Danny Willett on Thursday at 7:24 a.m. on Thursday and 1:09 p.m. on Friday.

Fowler is obviously still looking for his first this week at arguably the toughest course in the country — the cumulative winning score at Oakmont in eight U.S. Opens is 9 over. And those are the winners!

I wanted to pick Fowler this week because I think his disposition sets up well to win an Open (U.S. or British), and he’s one of the better ball-strikers on the planet. But he’s missed three of his last five cuts (including the Masters, Players and Memorial) and isn’t exactly streaking into Pittsburgh.

It’s his putting that has faltered (he’s No. 47 on the PGA Tour in strokes gained putting), but Fowler noted that that might be neutralized this week because of how difficult the greens are. And they are ludicrously difficult.

Rory: “Everyone move aside, I got this!” pic.twitter.com/U4fcdLdcxx

— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) June 15, 2016

“Ball-striking is going to be key this week, playing well tee to green,” said Fowler. “I don’t see many putts being made, but it will be a bonus if you’re able to roll a couple in. Like I said, I think this golf tournament is going to be won from good driving and putting the ball in the proper position into the green.”

That’s great news for Rickie!

He’s currently No. 5 on the PGA Tour in strokes gained tee-to-green. So while his scores have fallen off because of his putter, his overall game hasn’t necessarily taken a hit.

“If you look at his stats this year they are the best they’ve ever been, for greens in regulation and driving it in play. He’s just putted poorly, which is unusual for him,” his coach Butch Harmon told Golf Channel.

And at a brutal Open like we’re going to see this week, attitude and mental effort is going to be at a premium. Justin Thomas recently said he would take Fowler’s mental game over any other aspect from any other golfer on the PGA Tour. That’s not an accident.

“Patience, I think, is always one of the biggest ones at a U.S. Open just because of how tough it is physically, mentally,” said Fowler. “You can’t lose focus at all at any point out here. There’s no easy golf shot. I think, watching on TV, it’s going to seem a lot easier than if you’re actually out on the grounds and see what this golf course really is.”

That’s true, but “Fowler takes Oakmont” will have a nice ring if that’s the graphic splayed all over TV come Sunday evening. This is not a track with no-name winners either. In the eight Opens here, it includes names like Nicklaus, Hogan, Miller and Armour. Six of eight are in the Hall of Fame. The average total PGA Tour wins by the winners here in their careers is 27.5. It’s a big boy place.

Fowler is ready to take it on.

“It’s a special piece of property,” he said. “It’s cool, first time coming here a few weeks ago and seeing the layout without the trees. I know they’ve taken out a lot of trees in the past few years. It’s cool, but you don’t get the real perspective of what this place is all about until you’re actually walking it.”

One of its co-founders, W.C. Fownes, said this of his beloved track just outside of Pittsburgh: “Let the clumsy, the spineless, the alibi artist stand aside.”

Game on at Oakmont. May the least worst man win.