The Slice: Tournament Roundup: #TeamRickie

Okay. So. First of all, I haven't done a blog post since the Cadillac Championship at Doral. I'm well aware of that, but I blog at my convenience, not yours. So, we'll just have to learn to live with irregularity and mild disappointment.

Anyway, since the Detroit Tigers have taken the Kansas City Royals to extra innings in a 1-1 game, and I have nothing better to do, I'll see if I can get something done. The main purpose of this is to say that, after all these years, I'm finally #TeamRickie. Rickie Fowler, Oklahoma State Cowboy and orange clothing enthusiast, beat Sergio Garcia and University of Georgia product Kevin Kisner in the first three-hole aggregate playoff in Player's Championship history.

I DID WHAAAAAT?????

Look, I'm gonna be honest, I didn't watch very much of this tournament, which I whole-heartedly regret. From all of the highlights I've seen from the later rounds, it looked like a great tournament. Highlights and lowlights abound. Most notably, and I didn't see this until I googled "Player's Championship 2015 highlights" just now, was Rory McIlroy's "Sloppy Flop" in the 3rd round of the tournament.

As an aside, this is the greatest title I've ever seen over a golf highlight video ever. The fact that the person in charge of the PGA Tour YouTube channel typed the words, "Sloppy Flop," is enough to make The Slice. Note to the PGA Tour, because I'm sure they're reading this, "Sloppy Flop," will always make this blog. Always.

Outside of Rory's sloppy flop, and Rickie's win, there is one burning question I'd like to address. Kevin Na held a share of the lead heading into the 4th round, which is pretty characteristic for Na. He's quietly putting together a great year, although he hasn't won yet in 2015. But the biggest question is, why is he so pale?

Kevin Na, sunscreen enthusiast.

Provided he can maintain his current form, Na, like JB Holmes, could be a sneaky candidate for a captain's pick for United States team in the President's Cup later this season. He's had four top-10 finishes this season already, with his best finish coming at the CIMB Classic with a T2 finish in his second start of the season. I don't know what criteria captain Jay Haas is using to choose his team for the upcoming international competition, but Holmes and Na are certainly making their respective cases for inclusion come October.

Anyway, Rickie Fowler had a great round today. He was five strokes off the lead with eight holes to play, headed for a decent finish and a nice paycheck, and his mother and girlfriend were already checked in at the airport, ready to fly home, when he played the remaining eight holes at six under par, including a birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie finish on holes 15-18. He played the final four holes in eleven strokes, setting a tournament record in the process, setting him up for his first win since winning his first title at the Wells Fargo Championship in 2012.

So now I'm #TeamRickie, and I'm not ashamed at all. I won't lie, there were times when I couldn't stand Rickie, namely any time he stepped to the tee dressed head to toe in orange, but since he axed the Justin Bieber haircut and tangerine dudes, he's been playing out of his skin, finishing in the top 5 in every major championship in 2014. He's a legit player who deserves better than being the most overrated player on tour as voted in an anonymous survey of PGA Tour players prior to his win at the Player's Championship. Also his girlfriend his an absolute smokeshow, which I won't overtly use as an excuse to post pictures of her, but let's see how the rest of this blog pans out.