Rickie Fowler fired a 6-under 66 in the first round of the Children’s Miracle Network Classic. He’s currently tied for second, one stroke behind the leader, Justin Rose.

He started the day slow with a 1-under on the front nine. But he found his groove in the final six holes, where he birdied five of them. He ended the day in fine fashion with a chip-in for birdie.

After top-10 finishes in his first two starts as a professional, Rickie has created a ton of buzz in the golfing world. But he’s not letting the added attention change his game plan:

It’s nothing special. I’m not doing anything different really, just kind of playing golf. I’m just making less mistakes, and like I was talking about yesterday, committing to more shots, fully committing. So it’s nothing better than I’ve ever played before, and I’d say it’s, you know, just going out and playing steady rounds of golf.

And he’s making sure to still have fun on the course:

I’m having a great time out there. You know, I’m not getting overly excited. I don’t let my emotions to get the most of me, at least try not to. And you know, playing with Jamie [Lovemark], you know, playing alongside a friend definitely helps. We’re walking up to the fairways joking around and having a good time…hit a golf shot every once in a while and talk some more.

With this stellar start, Rickie is in a great position to achieve what few players have and earn his PGA Tour card by placing in the top 125 on the money list. A top-12 finish would probably be good enough. Or, he could just go out and, you know, win the whole thing.

Stay tuned for more updates throughout the remainder of the week!

[Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images]