Bubba inspired Fowler to maiden win

PONTE VEDRA BEACH: American Rickie Fowler, fresh from his maiden PGA Tour win, has credited the Masters success of his friend and compatriot Bubba Watson with giving him the extra kick he needed to finally triumph.

Fowler, 23, clinched the Wells Fargo Championship on Sunday with a playoff victory over Rory McIlroy and D.A. Points less than a month after Watson’s memorable playoff win at Augusta.

“It was nice for me to be there when he won the Masters and it kind of motivated me a little bit more to want to be in that situation,” said Fowler.

Since entering the Tour as a 20-year-old and being billed as the bright young hope of American golf, Fowler has been under pressure to prove his potential with a win.

His new status will also bring him extra attention, and particularly so during the first two rounds of this week’s Players Championship where he has been paired with Tiger Woods and Hunter Mahan.