The incredible number of balls Rickie Fowler hit on the range before the start of the RBC Heritage

Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images

He was then asked to take a wild guess.

“Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, 310,“ the American estimated, before being told that the number was actually 561.

“Okay. Compared to what I normally hit, that would be significantly more. But I needed a little extra time.“

Hitting 561 balls during the three days before a tournament starts is not usually a good sign for any professional golfer.

So the fact that Fowler shot a round of 65 on day one of the RBC Heritage really was a huge surprise.

What Rickie Fowler was working on ahead of the RBC Heritage

Fowler was asked if he was looking for a specific feel out on the range this week.

“I was looking for that,“ he admitted.

*“*Yeah, I knew there was a lot of stuff that was in a good spot. I obviously sent some videos to Butch.

*“*Some of it was just getting in a spot where I was comfortable and being able to continue the body to move and get the face square at contact. Yeah, so some of it is just a trust thing and in the head, which can be tough at times.

“Yeah, I think a big part today was going into warm-up, trying to kind of slow things down, get into a little better rhythm, getting things to sync up a bit more. So that was a big help. But yeah, needed a little extra time to get to that point.“

Whatever Rickie Fowler found in the build-up to the RBC Heritage clearly worked on day one at Harbour Town.

And long may that continue. The PGA Tour is better off when Fowler is contending to win tournaments.