Ricky Fowler
In the PGA TOUR’s battle of New Breed vs. Establishment, it doesn’t get much more appealing than this: Rickie Fowler (age 22) vs. Phil Mickelson (age 40).
The one-time Ryder Cup teammates will square off in Thursday’s second round of the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship. Their tee time is set for 12:46 p.m. ET.
Fowler beat Peter Hanson 1 up in his Match Play debut on Wednesday, while Mickelson, the No. 1 seed in the Ben Hogan bracket, had no problems with Brendan Jones, knocking out the Aussie 6 and 5.
"I’m very pleased with how I’m striking the ball and chipping and putting and so forth," Mickelson said after his win.
But he knows first-hand that Fowler won’t be easy to eliminate.
Last year in Wales, the two Americans played together in the four-ball competition, beating the European team of Ian Poulter and Martin Kaymer 2 and 1.
Fowler then showed his tenacity in singles, rallying from 4 down on the back nine to halve his match against Italian Edoardo Molinari.
Fowler said earlier this year in a pre-tournament interview that he hasn’t had a lot of success in match play events in his young career, but he likes the challenge of trying to beat one opponent.
"What is pretty cool about this event and what I look forward to is the one-on-one, head-to-head matches," Fowler said. "It’s do or die. That’s what I faced at the Ryder Cup the last four holes."
So, which player do you think will win this matchup? Give us your comments below.
