TOWN AND COUNTRY, Mo. — After 54 holes of the P.G.A. Championship, Rickie Fowler was three strokes behind the leader, Brooks Koepka, on Saturday. It was a familiar position for Fowler, who has six top-five finishes in majors over the past five years, but this time seems different.
Fowler came into the week with a right oblique injury that, while irksome, has forced him to keep his swing more compact. He also approached his 36th major start with a higher purpose that has cocooned him in calmness. The day before the tournament’s start, Fowler’s friend Jarrod Lyle died at age 36 after an extensive battle with cancer.