STROKE OF THE DAY

"A good golf course makes you want to play so badly that you hardly have the time to change your shoes. "

SAN DIEGO—With all the hype surrounding the marquee pairing of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson Thursday morning at Torrey Pines, little attention was being paid to the teenage amateur playing two groups ahead.

That all changed when 19-year-old Murrieta native Rickie Fowler did what the two top-ranked players in the world could not: he broke par in the first round of the 2008 U.S. Open.

Fowler, a soon-to-be sophomore at Oklahoma State University and one of the top-ranked players in college golf, birdied the par-5 18th hole on the South Course at Torrey to post an opening round of one-under-par 70.

By late-afternoon, he stood two shots back of leader Justin Hicks and seemingly had a firm grasp on what it takes to be successful in a U.S. Open championship.

“I just tried to stay patient,” said Fowler, the youngest player in the field. “I hit the ball well, I drove it well and I only missed a couple of fairways.”

Fowler, dressed in an electric orange golf shirt and white slacks, stood out more for the way he was striking the ball than his choice of opening-round apparel — which is just the way he likes it.

“I enjoy playing in front of the crowds. It forces you to hit good shots,” he said. “You don’t want to disappoint the crowds.”

And while he may be playing in his first major championship, Fowler is no stranger to major success on the golf course: One of his many accolades includes being named the 2008 Ben Hogan Award winner recognizing the best collegiate golfer. He also helped lead the United States Walker Cup team to victory last year.

Although he grew up in Southern California, Fowler, who made it into the Open field as a first alternate, said he hasn’t had much experience on the South Course at Torrey, having played the track competitively just once.

Still, with plenty of friends and family in his gallery, he said he felt he had what amounted to a home-course advantage.

“It’s kinda cool to have people [in the gallery] know who I am,” he said. “Being here [in Southern California] this week for the Open is a dream come true.”

But the week isn’t over yet.

“I just want to keep playing the way I’m playing now,” he added. “I’m just trying to play my game and not worry about what’s going on around me.

“If I set my goals high enough to win, who knows what could happen?”

Well, for one thing, he just may wind up finishing in front of the top two players in the game.