Rickie Fowler explains why he is playing the Sanderson Farms Championship after three-month break

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Rickie Fowler is ready to get back on the course at the Sanderson Farms Championship after taking almost three months away from golf.

Fowler’s last tournament was The Open Championship in July, with the American finishing 71st at Royal Troon.

First up on his return, having stopped playing because of the birth of his second daughter, is the Sanderson Farms Championship in Mississippi.

Fowler will then take on the Shriners Children’s Open and ZOZO Championship in Las Vegas and Japan respectively.

He made the decision to miss the likes of the recent Wyndham Championship, accepting his fate in the FedExCup playoffs early due to his ranking outside the top 100.

Rickie Fowler explains Sanderson Farms Championship appearance

But Fowler, a six-time PGA Tour winner, will now be more than ready to try and improve upon his previous results this season.

Asked why he is playing the Sanderson Farms Championship, Fowler said in his press conference: “Just looking at potentially if Vegas and ZOZO were maybe my only two events for the fall and the amount of time off. I thought it could be beneficial to add at least another one, especially beforehand.

“So this one was kind of on my radar and was wanting to make sure I felt like I was ready to go play, and also being able to use it as, one, I want to come here and know and feel like I can go win, but at the same time put myself in a better position to go play well in the coming weeks, as well.”

Can Rickie Fowler impress on Sanderson Farms Championship debut?

An immediately impressive performance might not come naturally after the break, with that task made even more difficult given that it will be Fowler’s tournament debut.

At the same time, however, it could represent a fresh start for the American, who has been struggling this season, with Fowler admitting to struggling on the greens.

He doesn’t have a single PGA Tour top-10 finish to his name in 2024, with just two top-25 finishes going his way.

He is now relying on word of mouth from many fellow professionals about the course in Jackson, with Fowler noting: “Yeah, hearing from other players that have been here, whether it was one time or multiple times over the years, a lot of guys like the golf course, it’s always in good shape, good greens, and that’s a big thing for a tournament is it makes a big difference when guys like the golf course and it’s in good shape. I heard a lot of good things with that.

“It was a fun one to be able to add. Like I said, I wouldn’t be coming here just to work on things or shake off rust. I came here feeling like I was in a good spot and can go play some good golf.”