Rickie Fowler is back from a three-month break to take on the Sanderson Farms Championship this week.
Fowler couldn’t defend his Rocket Mortgage Classic title earlier this year, having won the event in superb style in 2023.
That was one of his final tournaments before Fowler decided to step away from golf in order to focus on family life.
The Scottish Open and The Open Championship followed, before the American made the understandable decision to focus on the birth of his second daughter.
But the six-time PGA Tour champion is now back on the golf course, making his tournament debut at the Sanderson Farms Championship.
Rickie Fowler shares his goals ahead of the Sanderson Farms Championship
His return comes after he opted not to compete through to the Wyndham Championship, having been sitting outside the top 100 in the FedExCup standings.
But he is now feeling good ahead of a busy period, with Fowler saying in his Sanderson Farms Championship press conference: “Yeah, I mean, luckily for me, having won last year, I’m safe on certain things, but there’s definitely things for me to play for.
“Obviously to win and put myself in a better situation, get myself back in a good spot World Ranking-wise, ultimately stay inside Top 125, be in The Players. Plenty to play for, but at the same time, it’s not life or death.
“For me coming off that bit of downtime and refreshed and ready to go, I’m looking forward to playing well and kind of building a little bit better platform than where I was last year and put myself in a better position to have a little more excitement, build some momentum and confidence going into the ’25 season.”
Rickie Fowler tipped to be 2025 Ryder Cup vice-captain
It likely won’t be an easy ride for Fowler, who may find it difficult to get up to speed in Jackson, Mississippi this week.
That could be the case both given his lengthy break from golf, and indeed the focus and goals of his competitors.
It will certainly be a busy time for Fowler, with a busy 2025 also on the cards given his potential Ryder Cup role.
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Having played at the 2023 Ryder Cup, Fowler has been backed to be a vice-captain for Keegan Bradley next year.
Team USA hosts the competition at Bethpage Black in New York, aiming to recover from their struggles in Rome last time out.
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