Tour News

5 Things We Learned from Day 3 of the Olympics

Published

10 years ago

Aug 13, 2016

Three rounds of Olympic golf are in the books, and we have a new leader. Marcus Fraser struggled on Day 3 and dropped two slots to third. He’ll be in the final threesome on Sunday, which is more than we can say for Thomas Pieters. The Belgian’s round went downhill after a 379-yard opening drive, and he dropped from medal contention.

It’s safe to say that I can neither pick who won’t win (Jimmy Walker at the PGA), nor who will win (Thomas Pieters at Rio 2016), so please don’t consult me for wagers. Instead, read up on these five sure things we gleaned from our third day of Olympic competition.

Rickie wants to make the USA side for Ryder Cup

A stunning front nine from @RickieFowler has given him a chance of a medal. #OlympicGolf #Golf #Rio2016 #USA pic.twitter.com/f5j8xIsPih

— Olympic Golf (@OlympicGolf) August 13, 2016

Only Rickie knows for certain what caused his 75-71 start. He’s the 7th-ranked golfer in the world, and he should not shoot those numbers in a big event. Rickie had a talk with Rickie on Friday night, it seems. Seven birdies and an eagle later, Fowler had 64 and moved inside the top-15. Despite a two-hole hiccough on Nos. 14 and 15, where the Californian made bogeys, he gave himself an outside chance at a medal. If Fowler can repeat his Saturday special and get to double-figures under par, who knows what the final trio will do?

Bubba wants a medal, I think…

Be the ball.

Bubba Watson is charging up the leaderboard in Rio. He is -5 on the day. #OlympicGolf pic.twitter.com/ytWZ3OD3Rf

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 13, 2016

Bubba is a tough one to read. Four-under after five holes on Day 3, he appeared ready to go super low and move into the top-3 spots. Watson played the remaining 13 holes in even par and finished at 6-under, three behind Marcus Fraser’s current bronze-medal position. We know that Bubba can get comfortable at a certain course in Georgia. Tomorrow’s premier question will be, can Bubba get comfortable at a windswept track in Brasil? If he gets to 7- or 8-under on the day, moving to 13- or 14-under, he could steal the gold medal.

Pros are not immune to sucker pin positions

Rose extends his lead with a birdie on the 12th to go to -11: https://t.co/pgNm9CkUyE #OlympicGolf #Golf #Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/Q2Jtvhh5qH

— Olympic Golf (@OlympicGolf) August 13, 2016

Somewhere, Team Hanse is having a chuckle. First, Justin Rose had a go at that 18th green’s right pin, then did Gregory Bourdy. Both missed down the hill, leaving ticklish recoveries. Rafael Cabrera-Bello was having none of it, and played to the center of that putting surface.

Pros get on a roll like amateurs, and sometimes they lose their minds and forget that attack, attack, attack is not always the best strategy. Fortunately for Rose, Hanse allowed him to putt up slopes, and he made a marvelous putt-up, putt-down for par at the last.

Pros are figuring the Olympic Course out

Today at the #OlympicGolf course we have Team Sweden???????? vs. an Olympic Caiman????. Our money is on Henrik. pic.twitter.com/XbYrKuQzdJ

— Olympic Golf (@OlympicGolf) August 13, 2016

Let’s not forget that this is the first event that anyone has played on this golf course (that little exhibition did NOT count). Practice rounds are one thing, a yardage book is another, but tournament rounds are the real and only deal. Despite the change in wind direction, scores continued to drop, led by Fowler’s 64 and Rose’s 65. Mikko Ilonen also had 66 and moved into the top-10, while Padraig Harrington had 67 to meet Ilonen in a tie for 7th with one round remaining.

Shots from the fairway are finding the bottom of the cup and birdie and eagle putts are dropping, so look for an old-fashioned Sunday shootout for all the medals — assuming they can avoid the critters.

Henrik and Phil spoiled us at The Open

Fans enjoying a photo opportunity with the #OlympicFlame and the Olympic Rings at the #Golf!#Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/fRi9eTIPcr

— Olympic Golf (@OlympicGolf) August 13, 2016

If we are the announcers, that is. All they seemed able to talk about (besides Johnny’s homework) this afternoon was the expected duel between Stenson and Rose for medals. Stenson and Rose know each other quite well. They have been neighbors and Ryder Cup partners, but they are guaranteed nothing at this juncture. Docile conditions would be best for them, allowing them a chance to score. If the wind continues to howl, and someone makes a move up the leader board, Rose and Stenson could be hard-pressed to preserve their positions.

Related Topics:

Up Next

5 Things We Learned from Day 4 of the Olympics

Don't Miss

5 Things We Learned from Day 2 of the Olympics

Ronald Montesano

Ronald Montesano writes for GolfWRX.com from western New York. He dabbles in coaching golf and teaching Spanish, in addition to scribbling columns on all aspects of golf, from apparel to architecture, from equipment to travel. Follow Ronald on Twitter at @buffalogolfer.

6 Comments

mat

Aug 19, 2016 at 10:51 am

big names you are used to watch golf in the US maybe, but most famous where too scared to come!
it was a great field if you follow european/australasian tour and two best medals for europeans!!!
Can’t wait to see europe win the next ryder cup!! 🙂
It’s great for the game that’s the only way you should see it, and it’ll be greater when top 5 players in the world don’t get scared of going abroad anymore (or of mosquito bites lol)
cheers

Reply Report comment
LaTavius Washington III

Aug 14, 2016 at 3:18 pm

they should give out Fool’s Gold medals for golf,. it was entertaining to watch..but not during the olympics. the Barbacos classic had a stronger field than this event. golf doesn’t belong here. the course looked great..those that brought golf back did great in accomplishing the task at hand..(especially gill the architect? watching that prelim documentary was best part of week..
olympics are for watching people compete for a medal on their sport’s ultimate worldwide stage. where all roads in their sport meet for the ultimate prize. where just qualifying for their nation and be called an olympian is the greatest achievement in their lifetime.
i’m not knocking those who were involved..they all killed it this week..as in “good” kill…
and when media keeps trying to sell you on how great this is..it isn’t. congrats rosey. and congrats to me for telling you all how it is.

#WARCALVINPEETE

Reply Report comment
prime21

Aug 13, 2016 at 4:52 pm

“Only Rickie knows for certain what caused his 75-71 start. He’s the 7th-ranked golfer in the world, and he should not shoot those numbers in a big event.” Basically, you’re saying that if one is ranked in the Top 10 in the world it is inexcusable to be +4 through 2 rounds in a “big event” such as a Major Championship, are you not? If you’re going to accuse him of something, go ahead and do it. Your passive, aggressive approach is softer than his Round 1 & Round 2 total. Adam Scott was +4 through 2 rounds of the 2016 Masters. Dustin Johnson is the most recent example, firing +9 through 2 rounds of the PGA Championship. Are you insinuating that they too were partaking in some pre-tournament tomfoolery thus were not focused nor ready to compete? Attempting to find meaning in this article is the equivalent of missing the cut in a World Golf Championship. Last I checked, golf is a really tough sport. It not only challenges a multitude of physical attributes, it also tests every level of an athlete’s mental fortitude. Perhaps Rickie was too pumped up to perform, perhaps he was too lax, or perhaps he was in fact doing shots with Matthew McConaughey until 4:00 a.m., who knows? But to say a Top 10 player should never shoot over par through 2 rounds of a big event, is irresponsible and frankly bad journalism. Your articles are often well written, but this one leaves much to be desired. As most learned early in adolescence, if you have nothing nice to say, your best bet is to say nothing at all. In this case, there was no need to say anything nice, but you certainly should have steered clear of your opening statement regarding Rickie Fowler.

Reply Report comment
- Matto
  
  Aug 13, 2016 at 10:16 pm
  
  Here here.
  We’re not talking about an 85 & 81 for ‘godsake! And you know what? He didn’t get to number 7 in the world by shooting consistently in the 70’s did he?!
  
  Reply Report comment
  - ooffa
    
    Aug 14, 2016 at 6:55 am
    
    A top 10 player should never shoot over par in a big event when it is being played on a golf course designed NOT to be a challenge. Oh, and golf is not that challenging slog you dragged on about in your reply. It’s just a bit tougher to play after you have been out drinking all night with stoned out actors. As for being too pumped up. Nah. Olympic golf is at best a sideshow at a mud encrusted disease filled mosquito trap. Remember this is a place where the opening ceremony was done with mylar balloons. It’s a vacation pure and simple. A chance to say to his friends over drinks at the 19th hole. “Hey didja know I participated in the Olympics, Hic, I’ll have another shot Joe, and set up a round for my friends.”
    
    Reply Report comment
ooffa

Aug 13, 2016 at 4:52 pm

Don’t have time to watch Olympic golf. I mean what about all the other great events. Steeplechase, woman’s handball, Running and handing a baton to someone else to carry, running then jumping in a sand box. Not to mention Air Rifle. Face Plant!

Reply Report comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 PGA Championship

Published

2 days ago

May 11, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

GolfWRX is on site for the second major of 2026: The PGA Championship from Aronimink in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania.

The tournament’s location, just outside Philadelphia, and its status as a major championship mean GolfWRXers are in for a treat: WITBs from a strong field, custom gear celebrating the PGA Championship, and the rich culture of the City of Brotherly Love — we have noted a relative absence of cheesesteak-themed items thus far this week, but most of the rest of the usual suspects are well represented.

Check out links to all our photos below.