It’s been nearly two years since Rickie Fowler last tasted success on the PGA Tour but that could end this week after his superb opening round of 63 on day one of the Truist Championship in PA.
Fowler, 36, ended the opening round just two shots adrift of fellow American Keith Mitchell who signed for a sizzling career best nine-under 61 on the host Cricketers Club course in suburban Philadelphia.
“Kept it simple”, was Fowler’s initial comment post his round that included six birdies in his opening seven holes.
“I guess in a way just kind of executed how I wanted to. I felt like some of the pin locations were pretty gettable, and with the conditions today, you were going to have to make birdies.
“Kind of a start to how the golf course is laid out — I know this isn’t the normal routing — but the first seven holes, and you can make a lot of birdies there. If you get out of position, you can also go the other way. I knew that was going to be key to kind of get off a nice start and get things rolling there”.
Fowler shares third with three others including Austrian Sepp Straka and compatriot Colin Morikawa.
Rickie Fowler day one Truist Championship – Image PGA Tour
First-Round Notes – 2025 Truist Championship
Weather: Partly cloudy. High of 77. Wind W 6-12 mph.
First-Round Leaderboard
| Pos. | Player | R1 |
| 1 | Keith Mitchell | 61 (-9) |
| 2 | Denny McCarthy | 62 (-8) |
| T3 | Rickie Fowler | 63 (-7) |
| T3 | Collin Morikawa | 63 (-7) |
| T3 | Sepp Straka | 63 (-7) |
| T3 | Akshay Bhatia | 63 (-7) |
Keith Mitchell (1st/-9)
- Bogey-free 61 marks his career-low 18-hole score on TOUR (previous: 62, three times; most recent: 2024 American Express/Nicklaus Tournament Course/R4
- Fourth career 18-hole lead/co-lead on TOUR and third this season:
- 2025 Texas Children’s Houston Open/finished T18
- 2025 Valspar Championship/finished T54
- 2023 Genesis Invitational/finished 5th
- Three first-round leads/co-leads is the most of any player on TOUR this season (2/Tom Hoge, Harry Hall, Denny McCarthy, Wyndham Clark)
- 67.10 first-round scoring average this season; second-lowest round average: 69.50/R2
- 12th start of the 2025 season and enters the week with top-20 finishes in his last four starts (T18/Texas Children’s Houston Open, T12/Valero Texas Open, T2/Corales Puntacana Championship, T18/Zurich Classic of New Orleans)
- One PGA TOUR title in 200 career starts: 2019 Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches
- Received one of four sponsor exemptions restricted to PGA TOUR members this week#
Additional Player Notes
- Denny McCarthy (2nd/-8) posts his low opening-round score on TOUR this season with a 62 (previous: 64/Sony Open in Hawaii); led the field in Strokes Gained: Putting (4.478) in round one
- Competing as one of four sponsor exemptions restricted to PGA TOUR members, Rickie Fowler (T3/-7) opens with birdies on six of his first seven holes and closes with 63; seeks his first top-10 finish in his 10th start on TOUR this season (best: T21/The American Express)
- Collin Morikawa (T3/-7) posts bogey-free 63 for his low opening-round score on TOUR this season (previous: 66/The Sentry); coming off his first missed cut in eight starts this season at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans (with Kurt Kitayama)
- FedExCup leader and defending champion Rory McIlroy (T25/-4) opens with 66 in search of his fifth career tournament title at the Truist Championship (2010, 2015, 2021, 2024); making his first start on TOUR since finishing T12 with partner Shane Lowry at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans
