Rickie Fowler

1.1. Birth and Background

Rickie Yutaka Fowler was born on December 13, 1988, in Anaheim, California, and raised in Murrieta, California. His middle name, Yutaka, comes from his maternal grandfather, who is Japanese American. His maternal grandmother is of Navajo Native American heritage.

Initially, Fowler was an avid motocross racer. He began his golf journey at the age of 14, teaching himself the game primarily by practicing on a driving range, making him almost entirely self-taught. This unconventional start distinguishes his early development in the sport.

1.2. Education and Amateur Achievements

Fowler attended Murrieta Valley High School in Murrieta, California. In his senior year, he won the SW League Final with a score of 64-69=133 and led his team to the state final in 2007. After high school, he enrolled at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

His collegiate career began with a victory at the Fighting Illini Invitational, hosted by the University of Illinois, on October 1, 2007. He shot a 203 (70-63-70) to win the tournament by a single stroke. In the summer of 2005, Fowler secured the Western Junior title and competed in the U.S. Amateur, where he was eventually defeated by the champion, Richie Ramsay. In 2006, he participated in the U.S. Junior Amateur, shooting 137 over two rounds before being eliminated in the second round of match play.

Fowler was a key member of the victorious U.S. team at the 2007 Walker Cup, where he compiled an impressive record of 3-1 (2-0 in foursomes with partner Billy Horschel, and 1-1 in singles). That same year, he won the Sunnehanna Amateur in June and the Players Amateur in July. He successfully defended his Sunnehanna Amateur title in 2008, achieving a two-year winning streak. In the first round of the 2008 U.S. Open, Fowler, still an amateur, notably shot a -1 (70), tying for 7th place and ultimately making the cut, finishing tied for 60th. In October 2008, he was part of the Eisenhower Trophy team that finished second, and he was recognized as the leading individual player. His final amateur appearance in the 2009 Walker Cup saw him win all four of his matches, contributing significantly to another U.S. victory. In 2009, he also finished third in the Sunnehanna Amateur. For his outstanding amateur career, Fowler was awarded the 2008 Ben Hogan Award.

2.1. Early Career and First Breakthrough (2009-2011)

Rickie Fowler turned professional in 2009, immediately following his success at the Walker Cup. His professional debut was at the Albertsons Boise Open on the Nationwide Tour, where he secured his first runner-up finish, losing in a playoff to Derek Lamely at the Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational.

In September 2009, Fowler signed a multi-year equipment deal with Titleist, followed by a clothing deal with Puma in September 2010, and later a partnership with Rolex. His first PGA Tour event as a professional was the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, where he finished tied for seventh. At the Frys.com Open in Scottsdale, Arizona, he finished tied for second, losing a three-way playoff to Troy Matteson. This tournament was notable for Fowler's 18-under-par total, including a hole-in-one on the fifth hole in his final round and an eagle in each of his four rounds. In December 2009, Fowler successfully gained his 2010 PGA Tour card by finishing T15 at the qualifying school.

The 2010 season saw Fowler achieve multiple runner-up finishes on the PGA Tour, including at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and the Memorial Tournament, where he started the final round in the lead but finished behind Justin Rose. These performances propelled him into the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking. In September, he was selected as a captain's pick for the U.S. 2010 Ryder Cup team, making him the youngest U.S. Ryder Cup player ever at 21 years and 9 months. Despite a rules violation in foursomes that resulted in a forfeited hole due to inexperience, as attributed by U.S. captain Corey Pavin, Fowler showcased remarkable resilience in his singles match against Edoardo Molinari, halving the match after being four down with six holes to play, by birdying the last four holes. At the end of 2010, Fowler controversially received the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year award over Rory McIlroy, a decision that drew criticism from some European players.

In July 2011, Fowler tied the 54-hole lead at the AT&T National, but a double bogey derailed his chances for a first PGA Tour win. Two weeks later, he finished tied for 5th at The Open Championship at Royal St George's. In August, a tied for second finish at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational behind Adam Scott further improved his world ranking to 28th. Despite a disappointing performance at the 2011 PGA Championship and failing to qualify for The Tour Championship, Fowler secured his first professional victory in October with a six-shot triumph over Rory McIlroy at the OneAsia Tour's Kolon Korea Open. He concluded 2011 ranked 32nd in the world.

2.2. First PGA Tour Win and Major Championship Success (2012-2014)

The year 2012 marked a significant milestone for Rickie Fowler as he secured his first PGA Tour win at the Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina. He defeated Rory McIlroy and D. A. Points on the first extra hole of a sudden-death playoff by sinking a birdie. His final round of 69 (-3) brought him into a three-way tie at the Quail Hollow Club after 72 holes. This victory elevated Fowler to number 24 in the world rankings. The following week, at The Players Championship in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, he finished tied for second, marking his fifth career runner-up finish.



In 2013, Fowler finished runner-up at the Australian PGA Championship, four strokes behind winner Adam Scott.

The 2014 season was a standout year for Fowler in major championships. After a tied for fifth finish at the Masters, he achieved his best major finish to date at the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2, finishing as runner-up alongside Erik Compton, eight strokes behind champion Martin Kaymer. He continued this strong performance at The Open Championship at Royal Liverpool Golf Club, where he again finished tied for second with Sergio García, two strokes behind Rory McIlroy. At the final major of the year, the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club, Fowler tied for third after battling for the lead throughout the final round. His exceptional performance in 2014 made him only the third player, after Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, to finish in the top 5 in all four major championships in a single calendar year, though he was the first to do so without winning any of them. Jordan Spieth later achieved this feat in 2015. Fowler concluded the 2013-14 season with 10 top-10 finishes and reached 10th in the world golf rankings after his 8th-place finish at The Tour Championship.

2.3. Major Victories and Rise in World Ranking (2015-2019)

The period from 2015 to 2019 marked some of Rickie Fowler's most significant professional victories and a consistent rise in the world rankings.

Following a T-12 finish at the Masters, Fowler earned his first win in over three years at The Players Championship in May 2015. Trailing Sergio García by five strokes midway through the final round, Fowler produced a spectacular finish, playing the final six holes in 6-under par, including an eagle on the par-5 16th. His final birdie on the 18th hole brought him to 12-under par, forcing a three-hole aggregate playoff with García and Kevin Kisner. After García was eliminated, Fowler defeated Kisner in sudden death on the 17th hole with a birdie, playing his final 10 holes in an astonishing 8-under par to claim the championship.

On July 12, 2015, Fowler won the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open on the European Tour, shooting a 12-under-par 268. Later that year, on September 7, he secured his third PGA Tour victory at the Deutsche Bank Championship, the second FedEx Cup Playoffs event, winning by one stroke over Henrik Stenson.

In 2016, Fowler claimed his first victory of the year at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship on the European Tour, finishing one stroke clear of Thomas Pieters. Two weeks later, he again contended at the Waste Management Phoenix Open but lost in a playoff to Hideki Matsuyama. A notable moment in March 2016 saw Fowler sink a hole-in-one with Luke Donald's pitching wedge, winning 1.00 M USD for Ernie Els' charity, Els for Autism. He participated in the 2016 Olympics, finishing 37th. At The Barclays, the first FedEx Cup playoff event, he held a one-stroke lead heading into the final round but finished T7, failing to secure an automatic Ryder Cup spot.

On February 26, 2017, Fowler won The Honda Classic, his fourth PGA Tour victory, marking the first time in his career he converted a 54-hole lead into a win. This triumph moved him back into the world's top 10. He took the first-round lead at the 2017 U.S. Open at Erin Hills with a round of 65, equaling the lowest first-round score in the tournament's history. He ultimately finished tied for fifth place. At the PGA Championship, he closed with a strong 4-under 67, including four consecutive birdies, to finish tied for fifth, three strokes behind winner Justin Thomas. This marked his seventh top-5 major finish, giving him multiple top-5 finishes at every major championship.

Fowler started his 2018 season strongly, finishing runner-up at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba in November 2017, making him the 27th golfer in PGA Tour history to exceed 30.00 M USD in career earnings. On December 3, 2017, he won the Hero World Challenge with an impressive final round of 61 (-11), coming from seven strokes behind the 54-hole leader, Charley Hoffman. This round was a course and tournament record, as well as a personal best for Fowler. At the 2018 Masters Tournament, Fowler finished an agonizing second, just one stroke behind champion Patrick Reed, marking his eighth top-5 major finish without a win. In September 2018, he qualified for the U.S. team at the 2018 Ryder Cup, where the U.S. lost to Europe.

In January 2019, Fowler signed a multi-year deal to use TaylorMade golf balls and gloves. On February 3, 2019, he won the Waste Management Phoenix Open, overcoming a lost lead to secure a two-stroke victory over Branden Grace. In December 2019, he played on the U.S. team that won the 2019 Presidents Cup in Australia, contributing to their 16-14 victory by going 1-0-3 and halving his singles match against Marc Leishman.

2.4. Struggles and Comeback (2020-present)

The year 2020 marked a period of significant struggles for Rickie Fowler. After strong starts with top-10 finishes at the Sentry Tournament of Champions (T5) and The American Express (T10), his performance declined. The COVID-19 pandemic interrupted the season, and upon resumption, Fowler's inconsistent play continued. He struggled to make cuts in many tournaments, missing six out of 14 between January and August, including the 2020 PGA Championship. He failed to qualify for the BMW Championship, finishing T49th at The Northern Trust, and ended the year with a T49th at the 2020 U.S. Open and T29th at the 2020 Masters Tournament.

His struggles continued into 2021, missing the cut at The Players Championship and performing poorly at the Honda Classic, leading to him missing the 2021 Masters Tournament-his first missed major since the 2010 U.S. Open. While he missed cuts at the Wells Fargo Championship and AT&T Byron Nelson, he did achieve a T8th finish at the 2021 PGA Championship, his first top-10 in an event since early 2020.

The difficulties persisted in 2022, with missed cuts in his first three tournaments. He participated in only one major, the 2022 PGA Championship, where he tied for 23rd. Fowler narrowly retained his PGA Tour card for the next season, finishing 125th in the FedEx Cup standings, securing the last available spot.

In the off-season, Fowler made significant changes to his team, parting ways with his long-time caddie Joe Skovron, who had been with him for 13 years, and replacing him with Ricky Romano. He also changed swing coaches, ending his collaboration with John Tillery and bringing back his former coach, Butch Harmon. These changes quickly yielded positive results. Fowler finished tied for 6th at the season-opening Fortinet Championship. After missing the cut at the Shriners Children's Open, he tied for second at the Zozo Championship, just one shot behind winner Keegan Bradley. This was his best Tour finish since the 2019 Honda Classic, signaling a strong return to form.

In July 2023, Fowler won the Rocket Mortgage Classic in a playoff against Collin Morikawa and Adam Hadwin. This victory marked his first PGA Tour win since the 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open, ending a four-year drought and solidifying his comeback. Notably, at the 2023 U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club, Fowler shot an impressive 62, becoming one of only four golfers to achieve such a low score in a major championship.

4.1. Family and Heritage

Fowler resides in Jupiter, Florida, having relocated from Las Vegas after the 2010 season. His middle name, Yutaka, is a tribute to his Japanese maternal grandfather. His maternal grandmother is of Navajo Native American descent, reflecting a diverse cultural heritage that Fowler acknowledges.

In 2017, Fowler began dating track and field athlete Allison Stokke. They became engaged in June 2018 and married in October 2019. The couple welcomed their daughter in November 2021.

4.2. Other Activities and Endorsements

Outside of his professional golf career, Fowler engages in various public activities and philanthropic efforts. He has maintained a prominent presence in commercial endorsements, collaborating with major brands like Titleist, Puma, Rolex, and Farmers Insurance.

In 2015, Fowler was named an official ambassador for PGA Junior League Golf, a program designed to introduce young people to the sport. This role highlights his commitment to promoting golf at the grassroots level and inspiring the next generation of players.

5.1. Amateur Wins

• 2005 Western Junior
• 2007 Sunnehanna Amateur
• 2007 Players Amateur
• 2008 Sunnehanna Amateur
• 2008 Big 12 Championship

5.2. Professional Wins

Fowler has recorded 10 professional victories across various tours.

5.3. Major Championship Results

Fowler has a notable record in major championships, with several top-5 and top-10 finishes, though he has yet to secure a major title.

• CUT = missed the half-way cut
• "T" = tied
• NT = no tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic

Summary of Major Championship Performance:

• Most consecutive cuts made - 14 (2016 Open - 2019 Open)
• Longest streak of top-10s - 4 (2014 Masters - 2014 PGA)

5.4. World Golf Championships Results

Fowler has consistently participated in the World Golf Championships (WGC) events, achieving several top-10 finishes.

• NT = No tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic
• QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
• "T" = tied
• The Championship and Invitational events were discontinued from 2022, and The Champions was discontinued from 2023.

5.5. U.S. National Team Appearances

Rickie Fowler has been a consistent presence on various U.S. national golf teams, contributing to multiple victories in both amateur and professional competitions.

Amateur

• Walker Cup: 2007 (winners), 2009 (winners)
• Palmer Cup: 2008
• Eisenhower Trophy: 2008 (individual leader)

Professional

• Ryder Cup: 2010, 2014, 2016 (winners), 2018, 2023
• Presidents Cup: 2015 (winners), 2017 (winners), 2019 (winners)
• World Cup: 2016

5.6. PGA Tour Career Summary

Fowler's PGA Tour career summary illustrates his performance, earnings, and ranking progression over the years.

• As of the 2021 season.