What did you do a decade ago? In 2012, iPhone 5 released to the public, Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe” topped the Billboard 100 and I struggled to beat AP Physics. On the other hand, Rickie Fowler is busy getting his first career win on the PGA Tour.
It’s hard to believe that 10 years have passed since Fowler’s impressive playoff win at the Wells Fargo Championship. At just 23 years old then, the young man, with his flowing hair and brilliant orange head-to-toe, scored higher than Rory McIlroy and DA Points at Quail Hollow Golf Club. It was assumed the sassyrs opened the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year in 2010, as heavy expectations were ultimately met – except they weren’t. Fowler will struggle for the rest of 2013, earning only one spot in the top five on the PGA Tour.
Things began to fall apart the following year, when Fowler became the first player since Vijay Singh in 2005 to finish in the top five of every major championship without actually winning a single title. A rare distinction that not every player would enjoy wearing, Fowler strode, choosing to see the brighter side of the situation. Fast-forward to this day, and Fowler is still doing a lot of it, albeit under very different circumstances.
Currently ranked 146th in the Official World Golf Rankings, Fowler heads to TPC Potomac for this year’s Wells Fargo Championship in search of something far more important than his first career win; he’s looking for confidence.
“For me, yes, there have been times when it’s been tough with confidence, but I feel like we’ve had a lot of good moments over the last six months knowing it’s still there,” Fowler said. speak Garrett Johnston on the Beyond the Clubhouse Podcast. “Unfortunately, it hasn’t been anywhere near as consistent as we’d like. But I just kept looking at the half-filled glass and moving forward.”
Fowler’s struggles have been made public, as he has undergone rotational changes and enlisted the help of coach John Tillery. Since the start of 2020, he has only registered twice to the finish line out of the top five of the PGA Tour, both coming in limited fields. While there’s no sustained quality to his game, Fowler remains committed to the process.
“I definitely feel like I’m on the right track. It’s been a rough couple of years trying to mull over things and make some changes and finally feel comfortable,” he said. “Yes, I will say I’m still disappointed. I obviously want to see better results and be in a better position, but that’s just part of the process and I have to keep moving forward.”
From the outside looking in, nothing is going well for Fowler in 2022 – missing five of eight cuts and not finding a top 40 on any leaderboard – but a closer look at his numbers shows that his hard work is gradually paying off. The new dad has seen an upswing in his iron game since January, hitting strokes in terms of approach in six of his eight starts, including his last three. He’s in the top 10 on this Wells Fargo Championship field for distances between 175 and 200 yards, confirming his middle irons have cooperated over the past three months.
The clubs scored very well, however, his former strength in hitting the ball has become his biggest weakness. Golfs are often described as spinning discs. With all the attention on Fowler’s full swing, the five-time PGA Tour winner abandoned the hitter and it then fell to the ground, shattering into a thousand pieces.
Fowler arrived at TPC Potomac on Tuesday for a practice round with Morgan Hoffman, Peter Uihlein and now Oklahoma State Cowboy Eugenio Chacarra. His iron play looks sharp, but his pace on the pitch is questionable. He experimented with new putter models, new clubheads, switching between mallet and blade styles throughout the year in search of answers.
The 33-year-old finds himself in danger of missing out on the FedEx Cup Playoffs of the summer for a second consecutive year, as he has been firmly on the bubble for more than half a season. Possibly the 133rd in the season-long run, it’s only possible that Fowler will regain confidence from his previous T3 and 12 finishes in the shadow of our nation’s capital and self I embarked on the long summer of the PGA Tour.
“I’m probably the best at understanding my swing and the trends and causes of what’s happening now than ever before, but that doesn’t mean it suddenly kicks in,” says Fowler. “It’s still a very difficult and humbling game, so having an understanding is one thing, but being able to go out there and execute and do it consistently is the next step, but I feel that we’re in a good position and moving in direction.”
