Golf is a game of meritocracy. But with players exemption in place, here’s your new headline: Play better or play smart! What if you have one power card that can turn the tides in your favor? Because Rickie Fowler might be calling in the favors yet again! Back in 2021, we saw a similar case, only Rickie here made the most of it, tying for 8th at the PGA Championship, followed by a rinse but not exactly a repeat in 2022 when the 36-year-old finished T55 after slipping through the ranks (118) at the Genesis Invitational.
Come 2025, Fowler and ‘the usual suspects,’ as some would call it, have been handed the first cab off the ranks in its 99th edition. Rickie is most certainly aware of the accusations which is why it isn’t surprising when he said, “You’re still gonna hear some stuff once in a while” to Kira Dixon of Golf Today just this Wednesday. Dixon was at the TPC Scottsdale where the ‘boys club’ has reunited for another swing in the league’s rowdiest party of the year.
Except for Justin Rose from the ‘boys club,’ who too has the exemption card at the Torrey Pines Golf Course this time, Rickie Fowler, Gary Woodland, and Jordan Spieth will join defending Phoenix Open champion Nick Taylor. But before he flies to LA, the murmurs have not all been positive, nevertheless, Fowler displayed a clear understanding of what lies in front of him. The 2019 WM Phoenix Open winner finds himself in a comfortable “atmosphere” at TPC Scottsdale, having played at the WM Phoenix Open since he was an amateur on the circuit. He said,
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“This is my 17 WMPO. It is a special event. I always love coming here.” Special, sure, but he decided to take it a notch higher when he commemorated the special event with a major fashion statement. A camo outfit, to be precise, from a recent collaboration between Puma and Realtree Golf. Well, someone had to take the reins from Jason Day who isn’t at this week’s event, and Rickie here stepped up big time.
The 2024 PGA Tour season was one fraught with difficulties for Fowler. He only managed one top 10 finish in the entire season. His best results included finishing T18 at the RBC Heritage and T20 at the Travelers Championship. This was definitely playing in his mind, as Kira Dixon asked, “For you, personally, entering into this new season, what are the goals looking like?” 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. So, yeah, play a little bit better. Last week, didn’t have a great weekend, and you move backwards that’s what happens out here.”
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.
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. Do you guys 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.”
