Rickie Fowler is at risk of going down as one of golf’s perennial under-achievers and going into 2026, he has plenty to prove again.
Fowler shot to fame when he beat Rory McIlroy in a playoff for his first PGA Tour win in 2012 and by 2019, he’d won five more events, including The Players Championship.
However, Fowler then waited another four years to win again, winning the Rocket Mortgage Classic in 2023.
Still, the American is once again in the midst of a rut and going into 2026, he’s going on three years once again since winning.
Who do you expect to have a bounce back season in 2026?
Players who could bounce back from poor form in 2026: Jordan Spieth, Collin Morikawa, Tony Finau, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Cam Smith and Justin Thomas
Of course, that means Fowler is still yet to win a major and still yet to usurp his win at The Players.
And looking back at what Butch Harmon predicted about Fowler not too long ago, it seems the legendary golf coach might have got things wrong.
Butch Harmon’s incorrect prediction about Rickie Fowler
Speaking in an interview back in 2022, Harmon was pressed on Fowler and his future after he hadn’t won since 2019.
And at the time, Harmon made a prediction that doesn’t seem to be coming true anytime soon.
“Everybody goes through periods,” he said. “Even the great Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods went through periods where they go a whole year maybe only winning one time and things weren’t right.
“In Rickie’s case, he kind of hit rock bottom, and when you hit rock bottom – it’s much easier to work with someone when they’re on the way down because they’re still experimenting and trying stuff. “When you get down to where Rickie was – he was a perennial top-ten in the world and he fell all the way below 150th in the world.
“He had to make some changes and he knew he had to make them. It was easy for me because I’d worked with him before to help him make those changes.
“There are really good things in Rickie Fowler’s future that we are going to see.”
Asked if Fowler could rediscover his best, Harmon then doubled down and suggested the best might be to come.
“Absolutely. There’s no doubt about it,” Harmon continued. “He won five times, he won the PLAYERS, he finished top-five in all four majors.
“I think there’s a lot more Rickie Fowler we can see. His mind’s in good shape, his body’s in good shape, we’ll get his nerves under control and things can only get better.
“Everybody is a Rickie Fowler fan. When Rickie Fowler plays good golf, the tour is in better condition I think.”
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Rickie Fowler needs a big 2026 season
There were minor signs from Fowler in 2025, with three top tens for the season, including two in the final two events.
However, in the main, it’s just not been good enough once again for the popular American.
He was nowhere near making the Ryder Cup team and right now, he’s at risk of becoming one of those golfers who had all the talent in the world but never quite delivered fully.
How many holes do you think is the perfect number for a round of golf?
As for 2026, Fowler simply has to try and get a win under his belt. If he does, then Harmon’s prediction may well come true eventually.
But as of right now, Fowler is a long way off what we all thought he might become.
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