Fowler’s 63 – Rickie Fowler moved into contention at the John Deere Classic with an 8-under 63 on Saturday at TPC Deere Run, capped by an eagle on No. 14. He entered the final round tied for 12th at 11-under 202, while Zach Johnson — fresh off another strong day — stayed in
SILVIS, Ill. — Rickie Fowler didn’t need a grand speech to kick Saturday into gear. He just needed the putter to start rolling, the hills to cooperate, and one key shot to land where it mattered.
After making the cut on the 3-under number and finishing six shots behind 50-year-old Zach Johnson through 36 holes, Fowler came out firing on Moving Day. He signed for an 8-under round of 63 and thrust himself into contending position.
Starting on the TPC Deere Run backside, Fowler birdied two of his first three holes. Then the moment that set the tone arrived at the drivable par-4 14th, where his drive traveled 334 yards and set up an eagle try. He cashed the 39-foot, 5-inch putt to lift the day early.
Asked whether the eagle was the spark, Fowler traced the momentum through smaller saves and close calls. “I don’t get the heart rate up too much other than on some of the hills out here,” he said. He pointed to a 12-footer on his third hole, No. 12, and a 30-footer on the hole right before No. 14 that he thought was in before it slipped away. “So. just kind of kept moving forward. kept trying to hit good putts and make them and finally got a longer one to go in there at 14. ” he said. “So that was a nice bonus.”.
The eagle wasn’t an isolated hit—it fit a day built around putting. Fowler made 137 feet of putts after opening rounds of 70 and 69 that totaled a composite 140 feet. He added five more birdies, then absorbed the one blemish when he finished three-putt bogey at the challenging ninth.
“It was a good, solid day,” Fowler said. “It was nice to see some putts go in. I think my aim was a lot better, a lot tighter on the lines. Yeah, I mean, basically, everything we wanted in the day.”
By the time the final groupings tightened, Fowler was at 11-under 202, part of a pack tied for 12th entering Sunday’s final round. The score still leaves room for movement, but it also keeps his focus on the prize: a first win since the 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic.
The 37-year-old Californian also knows TPC Deere Run well enough to talk about both the scoring and the traps. He finished T18 in his second career start in the Quad Cities a year ago. “It’s a good place,” he said. “I enjoy it; it’s a fun course to play. You can score around here, obviously, as you can see from the quality of good scores this week. But it also can be tricky at times, especially when the wind starts to blow. I don’t think the golf course is as easy as some of the guys out here make it look. But I think it’s a good golf course and you have to kind of hit your spots.”.
Fowler’s wider season form is steady, even if he insists it doesn’t change the Sunday math. With four top-10 finishes—including a T2 at the Truist Championship in May—he sits 33rd in the FedExCup order and 42nd in the Official World Golf Rankings. “He said that won’t count for a lot when he tees it up Sunday,” the report notes.
“For everyone out here, is a very good player,” Fowler said. “I know this field may not necessarily stack up against some of our strongest. But I’d say it’s as tough to win as any tournament when you compare them all. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
There’s one constant in Fowler’s path. though: Zach Johnson. a senior with an unusually strong track record at this event. Johnson took a break from a strong rookie year start on the PGA TOUR Champions to play in his “fifth major.” He added a 5-under 66 to his 8-under Saturday starting total and is at 13-under 200 through 54 holes—positioned to chase his second John Deere victory and the 13th of a Hall of Fame-worthy career.
Fowler acknowledged Johnson’s impact over the weekend, watching closely as Johnson built momentum. “I watched a lot of Zach Johnson the last two days,” Fowler said. “It was fun to see him come back from hanging out with the guys on the Champions Tour. He’s had plenty of success around here. There are going be a lot of guys battling it out tomorrow with the scores that are possible. We’ll see what happens.”.
Rickie Fowler John Deere Classic TPC Deere Run Zach Johnson PGA TOUR Moving Day eagle on No. 14 63 11-under 202 13-under 200