HAVEN, Wis. — Rickie Fowler’s quest to improve on his tie for third at last year’s P.G.A. Championship hit a rough patch on the par 3 third. After his tee shot found one of Whistling Strait’s omnipresent bunkers, Fowler took four swings to clear the sand. He landed his fifth shot within 10 feet of the pin and two-putted for a 7. He rebounded with a birdie at No. 4 — his 13th hole — on his way to a one-over 73.
Fowler declined to talk afterward.
Jason Day, who opened with a 68 while playing in Fowler’s group, knew how Fowler felt.