Rickie Fowler has not been at his best. He is on the search for his first win since the 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic but has constantly fallen short. The closest he has come since then was a fourth-place finish at the 2024 ZOZO Championship. Yet, he is making it to the bigger tournaments like Genesis Invitational, that too on an invitational basis, sparking rumors of being a coveted member of the ‘boys club.’ But even Fowler knows that he is due a victory sooner or later.
Now that he is back where he registered his 5th PGA Tour Victory in 2019, he is looking to hit the ground running. Speaking to Kira Dixon of Golf Today, Fowler displayed a clear understanding of what lies in front of him, as he vowed to ‘play better than last year.’
Rickie Fowler aims to improve his performance on weekends
Rickie Fowler finds himself in a comfortable place at TPC Scottsdale, having played at the WM Phoenix Open since he was an amateur on the circuit. “This is my 17th WMPO. It is a special event. I always love coming here.” And maybe this sense of familiarity is what he needs. The 6-time PGA Tour winner has been going through a rough patch in his career.
The 2024 PGA Tour season was one fraught with difficulties for Fowler. He only managed one top-10 finish in the entire season. This was definitely playing in his mind, as Kira Dixon asked him what were his goals and objectives for this year. He gave a simple answer in just 5 words, “Play better than last year.” He explained it as his “first and foremost” goal. Simple it might be, but it outlines clearly where his mindset was.
You see, he played in 23 events last season on the PGA Tour circuit and he only missed 6 cuts. That means that he is doing his job on Thursday and Friday. It is the weekends that keep betraying the 36-year-old. And Fowler knows that, “I felt like I didn’t get off to too bad a start last year. I just didn’t take advantage of weekends or when I was in a decent spot.”
And his woes seem to have transferred to this season. After an average outing at the American Express Open, where he finished T21, Fowler stumbled hard at Pebble Beach. The Oklahoma State University Alum finished a disappointing T53.
He was a brilliant 7 under par at the end of Friday but scored 1 over par across the Saturday and Sunday rounds showing that his old problems on weekends are back. “Last week, didn’t have a great weekend, and you move backwards that’s what happens out here.”
His OWGR dropped to 85 after the result. The poor form, had some fans questioning his exemption to the Genesis Invitational but Fowler is in the right mindset. He believes that his game is slowly improving and he just needs a few things to click to get back to where he was. You guys do remember the magical 2014 season, where Rickie Fowler finished top 5 at all the majors he took part in? “I don’t feel like I am far off. I feel like the way I am swinging, some really good golf’s right around the corner. This wouldn’t be a bad place to get it going.”
Clearly, this is what he wants the fans to know. Well, he was not the only one to have the conversation about the biased treatment started.
Jordan Spieth too was accused of being a boys club member
The Genesis Invitational is taking place at Torrey Pines this year, moving from the Rivera due to the fires in Los Angeles. Hosted by Tiger Woods, the tournament found itself in the news a few weeks before it was scheduled to start. Why was that?
Tiger Woods granted exemptions to Rickie Fowler, Jordan Spieth, Justin Rose, and Gary Woodland to participate in the signature event. A signature event means more money, more FedEx points, and as a result more exposure to media and more competition. The idea of sponsor exemptions was to ensure young up-and-coming players get to rub shoulders and fight against the best golfers.
So, naturally, granting exemptions to veterans did not sit well with fans. Fowler and Spieth, got the brunt of the criticisms, with fans bringing up their recent performances. There also seems to be some distaste regarding their ‘Boys Club’ power group coming into play, something that has been talked about since the 2023 Ryder Cup.
However, his interview with Kira Dixon shows that Fowler is confident that he is going to turn a corner. We might see evidence of that at the People’s Open, set to start this Thursday. What do you think?
The post Amid Accusations of Biased Treatment, Rickie Fowler Makes 5-Word Promise Ahead of TPC Scottsdale Event appeared first on EssentiallySports.
