Two of the most popular players on the PGA Tour, Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth, have struggled mightily in 2024. What is the cause of their decline and can they turn things around before the end of the season?
What has happened to Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth?
Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth have many similarities. While Spieth has more major championships and overall wins, in 2010, both players were considered among the best in the game. Spieth, even reached world number one at the zenith of his powers, while Fowler was consistently a top 10 player for a number of years.
Then, both of them took a nosedive. Spieth went through several years in the wilderness where he did not win any tournaments. He went nearly 4 years, from his Open Championship victory in 2017 to his Texas Open win in 2021, without a victory.
Similarly, after Fowler captured his long-coveted WM Phoenix Open title in 2019 he did not pick up another win until 2023 at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
In recent years it seemed like both Spieth and Fowler were on the rebound from their lengthy struggles, but both have regressed in 2024.
Right now, Fowler is 91st in the FedEx Cup and has 0 top 10s and only 2 top 25 finishes on Tour this season. He has not been able to build upon last season’s progress where he had 8 top 10s and 18 top 25s in 24 starts.
Spieth’s season has been a little better, but not by much. He only has 3 top 10s and 3 top 25s this season and has made 11 cuts while missing 5 cuts. He has been dealing with a nagging wrist injury throughout the season, so perhaps that explains his less-than-stellar play.
It is unfortunate to see both Spieth and Fowler struggle because they are two of the most beloved players in the game. With Spieth’s wild theatrics and incessant badgering of his caddie Michael Greller, he makes for must-see TV when in contention. And even though Fowler is calm and collected most of the time, the fact that he is a nice guy and has a flair and swagger to him makes him exciting to watch as well.
Golf is better when Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler are playing well, so let’s hope they can turn things around soon. They have both brought their play back from the depths before so there is no reason why they cannot rekindle their best play again.
