Rickie Fowler will be desperately hoping that The Open Championship allows him to end his major season on a high, with the 36-year-old’s year yet to really get going.
Rickie Fowler is one of those players who will be looking over his shoulder as the FedEx Cup playoffs loom. Fowler is currently 69th in the standings, with just one top 10 so far this year.
The five-time Ryder Cup star has been at the centre of a little controversy this season – though not through any doing of his own – having been handed an invite to a number of signature events, including the Travelers Championship this past week.
Fowler registered an impressive finish at The Memorial earlier this month. However, it has been another underwhelming season for him.
Rickie Fowler issues his verdict on Royal Portrush ahead of The Open
He will have a chance to prove a point at The Open Championship next month. Fowler will be in the field at Royal Portrush.
Fowler’s best result at The Open over the last decade came at the Northern Irish course. And speaking on Golf Channel ahead of the Rocket Classic, he explained why he is such a fan of the tracks on The Open rota.
“I love links golf. It offers so many options, and being able to use your creativity. There’s typically wind involved, sometimes some other Mother Nature conditions. Portrush is a great spot. It’s different from a lot of other links courses in that the majority of it is played through the air. There’s not many greens that you can run it up into. There’s a lot of false fronts and greens that sit up,” he said.
“It offers a fun and different kind of links test. Like I said, playing it much more in the air. In the rough or out of position, there’s very few greens that you can really run it or bounce it into. So, still plenty of options, might just take some of those away when you are in trouble, and those kind of lower running shots, you’ve got to ball strike your way around there. I think that’s one of the reasons you saw Shane Lowry win the last time we were there.”
How Rickie Fowler has performed in The Open Championship over the last decade
When Fowler finished in the top five at all four majors in 2014, it seemed to be a reminder that it was a matter of time before he finally won one of the sport’s four biggest events.
Unfortunately, his performance at Portrush five years later has proved to be something of an outlier at The Open over the last decade.
He has actually not missed a single cut at The Open since missing out on the weekend in 2013. But from 2015 onwards, he has just one top 20 finish at the event.
Fowler is one of those players who still would not surprise you to see win one of the majors at some stage before his career winds down. The talent is clearly there.
It really would throw a spanner in the works for Keegan Bradley ahead of the Ryder Cup if Fowler was the one lifting the Claret Jug in a few weeks.
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