COLOR ME RICKIE More on The Memorial Tournament 2010

        Long lived golf fans are admirers of the game itself. Players come and go adding interest and variety throughout the years.  But it’s golf that we love to play & watch. Since we are “player/fans” we can wholly identify and commiserate with the current crop of professionals who are “livin’ the Shivas”, or making a living as golf professionals.  

       By The Memorial Tournament, in mid-June, the jockeying for position has revealed the ones we want to keep our eyes on. We start to recognize the new kids on the block.  This year I mean it quite literally when referring to Rickie Fowler, the 21 year old who held the lead going into the final round at the Memorial. He looked like a defector from a 1980’s boy band. Perhaps he as a toddler he was imprinted with such music. Primary colors set the tone of his wardrobe.  You certainly can’t take your eyes off Rickie.  Seriously, as I was scanning the crowd of thousands on Sunday, I saw a tangerine on the green. That’s no biohazard clean-up crew that’s our Rickie –Tickie -Tackie.

      Rickie Fowler is very young with mega watt talent to match his togs. So what drives a 21 yr old rising golf star?  Does he dresses monochromatically-golf cap to golf shoes-in eye catching, make that eye popping colors so that he’s not going to be overlooked? Or is he hiding in plain sight as Golfing Smurf to distract us off his uber talent?  I suspect Rainbow Rickie is developing more than his Kodachrome wardrobe.  Surely, he wants to do so without the unrelenting pressure the media will exert on the next Prince of Greens. 

        Seamus and Shivas, in search of true gravity, teach the multidimensional features of golf that exist more on the inside than outside.  When Rickie Fowler’s colors are stripped away you see that the kid has game.  After 4 days of play we learned that he additionally is good natured shows and has an even temperament.  Can this boy do anything but grow in grace & poise?  Over the next decade, I predict we’re going to keep our eyes on him because of who he is and how he plays the game. We’ll know him when we see him in a plain white shirt, khaki pants and going by the name Rick Fowler.  He’s on his way to becoming one of golf’s fascinating fellows & he’s fanning the flames of our love that will never die.   Nice job, kid.