St. Louis, Missouri ….

Jarrod Lyle would have been proud!

The site of Rickie Folwer donned in what was very much a Golden Wattle coloured shirt leading the field on the opening of the 100th PGA Championship.

Fowler snatched six birdies, including a pair to finish, in easily his lowest PGA score to head the field by two shots at Bellerive in suburban St. Louis.

The 29-year old’s prior best in eight past PGA Championships’s was a 68 on day two of the 2013 event.

Rickie Fowler dons a ‘Golden Wattle’ coloured shirt in honour of the late Jarrod Lyle.

And with the emotion embracing the golf world since the passing of Australia’s Jarrod Lyle, it is somewhat surreal the American should decide to change the colour of his shirt and don a shirt to mirror Australia’s national flower – The Golden Wattle.

Fowler was asked after his round about his choice of shirt and his thoughts on the passing of the 36-year old Lyle.

“Really the last few weeks, especially last week and this week, we’ve all been thinking about Jarrod a lot. So I was scripted to wear dark blue today,” he said.

“That definitely immediately changed last night. Last week I had the pin somewhere on the side. This is front and center.
You know, it’s definitely tough, especially talking with some of the guys that knew Jarrod better than most out here.

“Guys like Scotty and Leish and a lot of the Aussies, obviously. You also think about it as far as Jarrod wouldn’t want us out here feeling sorry for him or feeling bad or anything. You’d probably come out here and kick us in the butt and tell us to man up and go have some fun.

“So, it’s a little bit kind of bittersweet. You’re trying to go out there and keep living lifelike he did, but  but it’s
unfortunate that he’s not here with us.”

One thinks Lyle is with us and perhaps also who Fowler was pointing to in this great photograph below taken by legendary, David Cannon.

Rickie Fowler pointing skywards during his first round 65 at Bellerive (Photo – David Cannon)