Fowler determined to make McIlroy work for The Open title

Andy Hampson 05:26 20/07/2014
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  • Friend and foe: Rickie Fowler is second at The Open but six shots behind Rory McIlroy.

    Open challenger Rickie Fowler is determined to make his friend and rival Rory McIlroy fight hard for the Open title at Hoylake.

    Fowler will play alongside McIl­roy in today’s final grouping but has a six-shot deficit to make up on the Northern Irishman.

    Fowler moved to 10 under for the championship and into outright second spot as he matched McIl­roy’s third-round, four-under-par 68.

    The American, whose round included eight birdies, said: “I’m definitely satisfied with my game. I got off to a great start today through 12 holes. I was playing very solidly and I’m looking to draw on that.

    “Being six back is the same posi­tion I was in today.

    “If I’m able to go out and get off to a good start, maybe I can put a lit­tle bit of pressure on him, because he’s definitely in control of the golf tournament right now.”

    Fowler and McIlroy, both 25, know each other well having played against each other since their teens. Most notably in 2007 they were on opposing sides in the Walker Cup.

    They are now near-neighbours in Jupiter, Florida and know each other’s games well.

    Fowler added: “We’re good buddies but at the same time we both want to beat up on each other as bad as possible. We’ll have fun throwing shots back and forth and it will be fun to see if I can go out and put a bit of pressure on him and make him earn it a bit.”

    Fowler was tipped for stardom as a youngster in much the same way as McIlroy was, but he accepts he now has some catching up to do on his contemporary, who has already won two major titles.

    Fowler said: “In the past cou­ple of years, seeing what he’s been doing, obviously he has two majors already.

    “He’s a bit out in front of me right now. But it was just a matter of time before the two of us found a way to sneak into a final group together.”

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