Rickie Fowler

Lore & Background

Fowler was born and raised in Murrieta, California. He attended Murrieta Valley High School. For years, he played only on a driving range and is almost entirely self-taught. In his senior year in high school, Fowler won the SW League Final with a total score of 64-69=133 and led his team to the state final in 2007. After high school, Fowler attended Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. He posted his first collegiate victory at the Fighting Illini Invitational hosted by the University of Illinois on October 1, 2007, by shooting a 203 (70-63-70) to win the tournament by one stroke. In the summer of 2005, Fowler won the Western Junior and competed in the U.S. Amateur, where he was defeated by the eventual champion Richie Ramsay. In 2006, Fowler shot a 137 for two rounds at the U.S. Junior Amateur and was knocked out in the second round of match play. The championship was won by Philip Francis. Fowler represented the United States in its victory at the 2007 Walker Cup. His record was 2–0 in foursomes and 1–1 in singles making his overall record 3–1. Billy Horschel was his partner for both of their foursome victories. That year Fowler won the Sunnehanna Amateur in June and the Players Amateur in July. In 2008, Fowler repeated as Sunnehanna Amateur champion. In the first round of the U.S. Open, Fowler shot a −1 (70) and was in a tie for 7th place. He was one of three amateurs to make the cut, along with Derek Fathauer and Michael Thompson. He ended the tournament tied for 60th. In October 2008, Fowler played on the Eisenhower Trophy team that finished second. He was the leading individual player. In 2009, Fowler made his second and last appearance in the Walker Cup. He won all four matches in which he played as the U.S. won by a seven-point margin. His partner in both foursomes matches was Bud Cauley. He also finished third in the Sunnehanna Amateur in 2009. Fowler was given the 2008 Ben Hogan Award.

In Their Own Story

Pinehurst, June 2014. The air hangs thick with humidity and the smell of cut fescue. Fowler stands on the 17th tee, the flag tucked behind a bunker that has swallowed a dozen balls already. The crowd is a low, sustained murmur. He doesn't look at the flag. He looks at the fairway, at the angle, at the wind threading through the pine canopy. He lines up a shot that has no business being played from this lie, this distance, this pressure. The ball draws, not fades, bending around the trouble like it was always meant to. The gallery exhales. He doesn't celebrate. He just nods, taps the club head against his palm, and walks toward the next tee. The U.S. Open is his, and the shot he just made will be replayed on every highlight reel for the next decade.

Reader's Guide

Fowler turned professional in 2009 after the Walker Cup. His first PGA Tour event as a professional was the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open where he finished tied for seventh. His first professional win was the 2011 Kolon Korea Open on the OneAsia Tour. His first PGA Tour win was the 2012 Wells Fargo Championship, where he defeated Rory McIlroy and D. A. Points in a playoff. He has never won a major championship; his best major finishes include runner-up at the 2014 U.S. Open and 2014 Open Championship, and top-5 finishes in all four majors in 2014. He won The Players Championship in 2015. His Ryder Cup appearances include 2010, 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2023.

Did You Know?

• Fowler is one of only seven golfers to shoot 62 in a major championship, achieving the feat at the 2023 U.S. Open.
• He was the youngest U.S. Ryder Cup player of all time at age 21 years and 9 months in 2010.
• Fowler birdied the last 4 holes of his singles match against Edoardo Molinari at the 2010 Ryder Cup to halve the match after being 4 down after 12 holes.
• He is almost entirely self-taught, having played only on a driving range for years.