Rickie Fowler wins first PGA Tour event since 2015

Published Feb. 26, 2017 6:36 p.m. ET

Nick Schwartz

Rickie Fowler had a rocky second half of the 2016 season, but he survived the Bear Trap at PGA National to win the Honda Classic for his first PGA Tour victory since September of 2015 and jump into the top ten in the FedEx Cup standings.

Fowler began the day with a four-shot lead, but played his first six holes at 2-over par with a double-bogey at the sixth and a bizarre bogey when his putt from off the green ended up in a sprinkler head.

Fowler stabilized after making the turn, though, and carded crucial birdies at 12 and 13 that kept the field at bay - and aside from Jhonattan Vegas, no player in the field managed to go low and put pressure on Fowler on a windy day in Florida.

https://twitter.com/PGATOUR/status/835977410629685248

Fowler hit his tee shot at the par-3 17th into the water, but drilled his third shot close to the cup and saved a bogey.

https://twitter.com/PGATOUR/status/835980981085483008

Fowler took another bogey at the 18th, but it didn't matter. He finished the tournament at 12-under par, four shots ahead of Morgan Hoffman and Gary Woodland.

https://twitter.com/PGATOUR/status/835990282818605056