Rickie Fowler doesn’t have many vivid memories of the putt. All he can recall is that it went in.
As the 12-foot putt rolled into the right side of the cup, Fowler turned to face the sky. He grinned wryly. With that birdie on the opening hole of a three-man playoff, his comeback was complete.
He’d reignited his career and won his sixth PGA TOUR championship. Fowler had shown encouraging signs during the season, but this was the result of all the effort, near-misses, and close calls.
There isn’t time for lofty thoughts, though. Still not. Later, caddy Ricky Romano engulfed him in a bear hug that was appropriate for the situation. Then the cameras, his family, and the thunderous roars appeared. Chaos from the overwhelmingly pro-Fowler crowd, which was ecstatic to see one of golf’s most well-liked players finally achieve victory.
About 30 minutes after he defeated Collin Morikawa and Adam Hadwin, he spoke from the clubhouse of Detroit Golf Club. “I was kind of just still and quiet while everyone was going crazy around me,” he said. On the 18th hole, Fowler accomplished it with back-to-back birdies. On the last hole of regulation, the first one occurred. the second one on the opening hole in the playoffs.
Fowler moved up to ninth in the FedExCup after his first victory since 2019 and was predicted to break into the top 25 in the world rankings. He had eight top-10 finishes this season, which was a six-year high.
On the 18th green, his final response was appropriate for Fowler. Even while he occasionally appears dazzling while sporting his Sunday Oklahoma State orange, his preferred style is subtle. About as expressive as he will be on the course is the sigh of relief he sent out when he holed the putt.
Fowler maintained his composure and generosity from the lowest of lows last summer when he dropped outside the top 150 to Sunday’s high at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Fowler remained the same throughout the past two years, through the good but mostly the bad.
In my opinion, some individuals who have difficulties turn into shells of themselves and may experience some emotional anguish while playing golf. He’s just been the same, Rickie, and I believe that is beneficial because it keeps you at ease when the game resumes.
Even the strongest people can be crushed by fame. Since he first joined the TOUR in 2010, Fowler’s star has shone more brilliantly than others.
A college student with scruffy hair, a bold character, and tan skin is a recipe for admiration and scrutiny. The young Californian was instantly subject to expectations, many of which were justified. But the criticism increased as it became clear that he wasn’t winning enough or couldn’t win a significant championship. More was always expected of him given his great fame and several endorsement deals.
Despite winning significant titles both domestically and abroad, cracking the top five in the global rankings, and placing in the top five at all four major tournaments in 2014. Just a few days before he took home the 2015 PLAYERS Championship, his peers famously selected him as the TOUR’s most overrated player.
But after failing to qualify for the FedExCup Playoffs in 2021 for the first time in his career and dropping outside the top 150 in the world rankings the previous summer, something changed and he began to struggle.
He didn’t offer justifications or vent his annoyances on others. He was sympathetic because of the coolness with which he handled everything. He also became a father and a husband during this winless stretch, which helped him become more accessible, and more human.
Since 2019, the year of his most recent victory at the WM Phoenix Open, he hasn’t competed in all four major championships in the same calendar year. In addition, until earlier this season, he had not really come close to achieving his sixth career triumph. In each of the preceding two seasons, he only finished in the top 10 once.
His followers had something to celebrate after this triumph. Additionally, it silenced the persistent detractors. They will always be a challenge for a player of Fowler’s stature.
“It’s incredible to have the love I’ve had and the people who have consistently stood by me, but you also have to deal with the other side, which is awful. It makes me feel good to hear that many people are pleased and delighted, and it probably also helps to calm down some other folks,” he said.
As the losing streak extended and the criticism of his play increased, Fowler persisted. He never lost hope that his golf would get better, but he was also realistic enough to realize that it might never be as good as it had been.
He was aware that playing the TOUR Championship, competing in big tournaments, and regularly representing the United States wasn’t certain. He was content in every other aspect of his life, which was helpful. In 2019, he joyfully wed Allison, and the two are now parents to Maya, a 1-year-old girl. His partnerships and pals stayed the same. The only element that was absent, albeit a significant one, was the golf.
He needed two recognizable faces to help him find it. His caddy Romano and swing coach Butch Harmon.
After Fowler and longtime looper Joe Skovron, a childhood buddy and Fowler’s caddie for the entirety of his professional career, fell out, Romano took over the bag in September of last year. Given that Romano and Fowler shared a hometown of Murrieta and were both gifted athletes, the transfer was simple, according to Fowler.
It was also crucial to get back to Harmon. Fowler looked for a more straightforward strategy after working with swing instructor John Tillery for three years.
At the time, Fowler stated, “I’m just trying to get back to playing golf rather than worrying and playing golf swing.”
Although Harmon’s engagement hasn’t been overpowering, it has been sufficient to have an impact. Since they began working together in the fall of last year, Fowler claims he has only had a total of four in-person encounters. Regular phone calls and back-and-forth videos have proven essential.
“He is the top golf instructor available. He does a terrific job working with players, making the most of what they already have and ultimately, in my opinion, bringing out the best in them.” Fowler said.
Over the winter, a newfound assurance in his swing began to emerge. When he switched to the Odyssey Versa Jailbird in January, he revived his putting skills. This season, Fowler is ranked sixth in SG: Approach-the-Green and T29th in SG: Putting. He finished 12th in Putting and second in Approach at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
After using the new putter for his subsequent nine starts, Fowler recorded eight top-20 finishes. The momentum was briefly halted with a missed cut at the PGA Championship, but he swiftly recovered with finishes of T6, T9, T5, and T13. It prompted him to claim earlier this week that he was feeling the greatest he had ever felt about his game. Others would concur.
Fowler recorded the greatest score of his PGA TOUR career in the two events that came before the Rocket Mortgage Classic, tying the lowest round in major championship history. He took a share of the lead into the final round of the U.S. Open after shooting 62 in the first round. He fell to fifth after shooting a 75 on Sunday, but there were encouraging signs. He shot 60 in the third round of the Travelers Championship six days later.
“It’s wonderful to see that he has been playing golf so well. His fans adore him. No matter how he plays, the people still show up to see him, although lately, he’s been doing great.” said Morikawa, after missing the 18th green in regulation and failing to hole his chip from the back rough to proceed with the playoff.
For Fowler, the T5 at the U.S. Open was very educational. After each of the first three days, he had at least a share of the lead. However, his swing was loose on Sunday, and big figures followed.
But it gave me a good experience. His career has given him plenty of opportunity to compete, but the more recent the better. When he missed two easy birdie opportunities at the Detroit Golf Club, he felt it was helpful because it was the first time all day that he had lost the lead. Fowler knew he could be patient even when birdies were coming at him from all directions.
When needed, he delivered.
With 24 under par and needing a birdie to enter a playoff, Fowler hit his 145-yard approach shot from the right fringe to 3 feet. After driving into the right rough in the playoff, Fowler eventually ironed out a shot that dropped in the middle of the green and ran up to 12 feet.
Fowler’s readiness to lose had a crucial role in the success of those strokes. Losing in a PGA TOUR playoff is a far cry from the struggles he has faced in recent years.
“I don’t fear failure. I’ve dealt with that a lot,” he said.
There is a win now, at last.
