Rickie Fowler and Australian Open a match made in heaven

GOLF Australian officials want Rickie Fowler to play the Australian Open.

Rickie Fowler in action during the pro-am prior to the start of the Hero World Challenge at the Isleworth Golf and Country Club in Florida.

GOLF Australia officials want Rickie Fowler to play the Australian Open. Fowler has professed his undying love for all things Australian. Sounds like a match made in heaven.

“I haven’t played the Open,” Fowler said.

“I definitely love playing in Australia. Some of it comes down to scheduling. It is tough to go down for one week. If I am in Asia I can go down after that.

“But I do look forward to playing in Australia. I haven’t looked at it next year as far as the schedule goes but it’s a definite possibility that I will play in Australia a lot in the future for sure.”

Fowler is now 25 but he is still every inch the boy wonder of world golf. Bright clothes, broad-brimmed cap, Justin Bieber looks. More importantly, he's also a ripping golfer.

Little wonder he has been earmarked as a potential target by Golf Australia should they opt against pursuing world No 1 Rory McIlroy for a third consecutive year. Phil Mickelson’s name has also been bandied about but Fowler appears the more likely prospect given he is an unabashed fan of Australia, as evidenced by the fact he has played the Australian PGA on two occasions in recent years, including last year when he was edged out by Adam Scott at Royal Pines on the Gold Coast.

Since pushing Scott every step of the way 12 months ago, Fowler has soared up the world rankings. Thanks to top five finishes at all four majors — he was second at the British Open and US Open — Fowler has consolidated his position inside the world top 10.

The flipside of that is that any appearance fee is likely to be significantly more than it was in the past. Nevertheless, the country's three major tournaments have one big thing in their favour — Fowler enjoys playing here.

“I grew up in southern California,” said Fowler, who has the chance to cap his year in style at the Hero World Challenge, being played at Isleworth Golf and Country Club in Florida this week.

“I feel it (Australia) is a similar lifestyle to where I grew up — the beach, the outdoor life. Everyone down there is awesome. I enjoy all the parts I have been to.

“I have been to Melbourne, Sydney and up in Queensland. I definitely want to see more and get a win down there. Like I said, the biggest thing is getting the schedule to work out properly.

“I feel like I have most of my stuff planned for the tour season through September. I am sure we will start working soon on some stuff later in the year.”

Asked whether his performance at last year’s PGA played a role in pushing him to the dizzy heights he reached this year, Fowler said: “It was the start of when I started working on some stuff swing-wise and right before I started working with Butch (Harmon).

“It was nice to have a good finish down there. I have played and had a lot of good finishes in Australia going back to amateur golf. Seeing as I have played well in Australia, I have to try to get a win some time soon.”

It could be at the Open. Fowler's compatriot Jordan Spieth won the Stonehaven Cup this year and Fowler is eyeing off an Open title as well. “There are great names on it,” Fowler said of the Stonehaven Cup. “The country, the lifestyle, the golf down there — I love the vibe down there and it's definitely a place where I want to spend more time.”

• Teenage Australian rookies Minjee Lee and Su Oh have made steady starts at the US LPGA Tour qualifying school in Florida.

They shot even-par rounds of 72 at LPGA International to be tied 46th in the 154-player field after the first of five rounds. The two 18-year-olds both turned pro in the past three months.

Julia Boland heads the nine-strong Australian challenge after a 71, which left her five shots behind American leader Casey Grice. Breanna Elliott and Maggie Yuan are tied with Lee and Oh while Rebecca Artis shot 73. Stacey Keating had a 75, one shot better than and Jayde Panos and Emma DeGroot.

Additional reporting: AAP