Golf is a funny game. One that for years was viewed as an old man’s game. The stereotypical golfer was generalized as being white haired geriatrics that wore funny outfits and chased a small white ball around beautiful landscapes. With the ascension of Tiger Woods, golf slowly began to shift from a very specific demographic interest to one that slowly began to become more wide spread.
Although Tiger may have been one of, if not the most talented and influential golfer of all time, there is one golfer who has truly set himself apart among the golfing elite. Rickie Fowler burst onto the scene in 2009 as this scrawny, long haired Californian “bro” who could really play the game.
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After a successful collegiate career at Oklahoma State, the young Fowler brought his swagger and fashion to a golfing world that was yearning for more names to throw their support behind. In what seems like a relatively distant past, Fowler’s style and influence has overtaken most other golfers’ reach on Tour. In the past, Sunday’s were affiliated with red shirts and Tiger winning tournament after tournament – however, with Tiger on his way out, or at least to the Senior PGA, Sunday’s are now related to burnt orange and flat brimmed caps.
Fowler may not be the #1 ranked golfer in the world as per the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) but in the hearts and minds of many, Rickie is the guy to watch. Fowler’s first 4 seasons on tour (2009 – 2013) were memorable, as Rickie won his first two professional tournaments while also being named the PGA Rookie of the year in 2010. However, for many, Rickie was quickly surpassing his golfing talent with his “notoriously” popular style; in theory, many believed his stylist to be more talented than his swing and golfing coach, Barry McDonnell.
McDonnell’s unexpected passing in 2011 left Rickie without a true swing coach for 3 years until Phil Mickelson, Fowler’s good friend, introduced him to Butch Harmon – and since then Fowler has never looked back. It is clear that a relationship and level of trust was quickly formed as Fowler’s game quickly began to take shape. At 5’9, Fowler is able to symbiotically combine a powerful drive with skillful iron play and unnerving confidence on and around the greens. Harmon has simply honed these skills and provided Rickie with what appears to be a method to what many believe to be his madness.
It was quick to see the positive impact on Rickie’s game as he finished in the Top 5 of every major in 2014. Quickly, Fowler began to gain traction amongst the OWGR, now 4th in the World, while also notching wins at The Players and the FedEx Playoff’s Deutsche Bank Championship. Coming off a disappointing playoff loss at last week’s Waste Management Open to Hideki Matsuyama on the 4th extra hole. It has grown clear that Fowler’s game has finally begun to match his outspoken attire.
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Many attest Fowler’s current success to the tutelage of Harmon; however, in 2015 after being named the most overrated golfer on Tour by a group of his peers, it was clear that Rickie was out for blood. Can 2016 be the year that he finally pulls it all together and notches his first Major Victory?
From flashy outfits, to patriotic haircuts during the Ryder Cups, to his appearances with the “Golf Boys”, it is finally time for Fowler to step up and grab the reigns of the PGA Tour that appears to be poised once again for American dominance. With great success throughout his career at The Master and the British Open, one would think that the time is truly now for yet another young American golfer to cement his name in the annals of golfing history.