Fowler’s 64 Wins Title

Rickie Fowler’s reaction was subdued, his thoughts understandably elsewhere.

Fowler turned in a record-setting performance Monday when he shot eight-under-par 64 at Canyon Country Club in Palm Springs and won the Southern Section individual title by three shots over Louis Amira of Valencia, but the sophomore from Murrieta Valley celebrated with a heavy heart.

Two of his teammates, sophomore Josh Anderson and junior Andrew Cortez, were in a car accident Friday afternoon. Anderson, the team’s No. 1 player, broke his left arm and will have surgery today to repair the damage.

Cortez, who was behind the wheel when the car flipped over three times and caught fire while driving home from a practice round at Bear Creek Golf Club in Temecula, suffered minor injuries.

Anderson will miss the rest of the season for Murrieta Valley, which was a favorite to win the Southern California regional championship June 2 at the SCGA Golf Course in Murrieta.

“I felt like this round was half me and half Josh,” Fowler said. “I kind of wanted to play for him.”

His 64 was one shot better than the previous tournament record set by Brian Sinay of Irvine University at Canyon in 1999 and is the second high school tournament record Fowler that has broken in as many years. He shot 62 at the Southern California regional last year.

“I feel like I’m a better player this year,” Fowler said. “Last year was kind of lucky, I’d have to say. But it’s still two great rounds and two great scores, so that’s all I really look at.”

Fowler had eight birdies and no bogies on a hot but calm day Monday. He had a stretch of five birdies in six holes midway through his round and said crisp ball-striking was the key. He missed only two fairways and two greens and needed only 27 putts to complete the round.

It left Fowler with only one more record to complete an impressive trifecta. The state individual record is 68.

“That would be a nice accomplishment if I could do that,” he said.

He has to get there first, and the loss of Anderson could hamper the chances of his team advancing.

“It’s going to be a major challenge now, it really is,” Coach Greg Ireland said. “But that’s what sports is all about -- challenges. Rickie going low like this sends a good message to our kids that we still have a shot.”

Fowler can advance to the state tournament as an individual even if his team does not, but he said he believed the Nighthawks could still win.

“But the important thing is that Josh and Andrew are OK,” he said. “ ... It could have been a lot worse.”