Fowler’s Frustration Grows as World Ranking Plummets
It has been a rough almost two years in professional golf for Rickie Fowler.
Heading into this week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational, Fowler is ranked 65th in the world and a long way from qualifying for The Masters.
“It’s very frustrating. It’s made it at times tough between Joe and I on the course. We have a great relationship, we have known each other for a long time, but when I’m out there and I’m not hitting shots that I’m visualizing and seeing, it’s hard,” said Fowler in his press conference on Tuesday.
He continues, “It’s tough for all of us that are involved, from my caddie, to my wife, she’s having to deal with me at home. I’m trying to be the best husband that I can, not bringing golf back home. But when you’re out on the road that long and on the grind, putting in the work at home — it’s pretty much been all golf.”
Fowler still has more than a month to go before The Masters, meaning there is plenty of time for him to get in.
“I mean that’s the short-term goal. Honestly, I hadn’t really looked at rankings this year, really. I mean, I knew I wasn’t inside the top 50, I didn’t know exactly where I was, it wasn’t necessarily something where I was calculating or saying, I need to do this to get back to here, it’s, play golf,” Fowler adds.
However, there could be some signs that Fowler is trending in the right direction.
In his last start at The Genesis Invitational, Fowler finished in a tie for 20th in what he thinks should have been a better finish.
Fowler adds, “Finished off with a nice round on Sunday in L.A., which could have been a lot better, but things are starting to head the right way. Like I said, it’s just been a bit slower than I would have liked it to be.”
It will be interesting to see how Fowler does this week, in a tournament that means so much to him.
I mean, the API or the Arnold Palmer Invitational, it’s just a special week. I mean, obviously it was even more special, I think, having Arnie around and people getting to see him and be around and spend time with him.
“I was fortunate enough to get a lot of time with him over the years. But now to be able to kind of, not that he needed any help to carry on the legacy, but to help raise money for the foundation through with Puma and creating some cool collections for the event, to be here to play at a course that I’ve had success at, great memories, won a junior tournament here back in the day,” said Fowler.
He is paired with Viktor Hovland and Jason Day for the first two rounds.