Rickie Fowler Looking Forward to Getting Back to Work
STILLWATER -- Rickie Fowler hitting shots that look closer to the Saturday and Sunday weekend warriors, maybe in some cases ot as good? How could that be? Well, when the PGA Tour is disrupted and put on hiatus, just like all the major sports in this country, then the touring pros look for something to keep them busy. This week while appearing on ESPN SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt, Fowler talked about an all left-handed round he played with good friend and fellow Tour professional Justin Thomas.
“We played a couple of times after that, J.T. and I played a lefty match against each other," Fowler answered when asked about if he had played much since the last tournament, The Players Championship, was halted in progress. "I think I shot a 95. I clipped him and I made a little bit of lunch money that day."
Van Pelt asked if it was serious and by the rules?
"Oh yeah, finished everything (played) out, take drops, it was pretty interesting," Fowler chuckled. "I’m glad I’m a good putter lefty, it saved me.”
It started at The Players Championship, Fowler said with all that was happening in sports. The feeling was the COVID-19 and the inactivity, as a result, was going to go on for awhile.
“Well, I think the biggest it started really from the Players (Championship)," Fowler said on ESPN. "We kind of found out that things we’re going to be cancelled and not really sure what the outcome was going to be. It seemed kind of inevitable that The Masters was going to be postponed to, at least, (moved to) another date, and we’ve kind of been in a holding pattern. I know that we all like to be out playing golf and be free to do what we want to do, but I’m trying to make the most of being at home, cooking and working out, relaxing,”
Fowler seemed to almost present the downtime as a positive. He lives in Jupiter, Florida. He has his new wife, endorsements like Rocket Mortgage, Farmer's Insurance, and he has his movie/video production company. Plenty of things to keep him busy.
“You know we’ve had a few weeks at home now where we’ve been quarantined, definitely the last two and half weeks and I have been taking full advantage of that," Fowler expressed.
Rickie Fowler is a huge source of pride for Oklahoma State fans. He still wears his orange on Sunday's final rounds. He comes back often for football games, came back with then fiance' and now wife Allison Stokke. He has been involved in Ryder Cup play, had the year he finished in the top five at each of the majors in golf something he shares with Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as an accomplishment.
He has earned over $31-million in PGA Tour earnings alone. He has won six PGA events, another three tournaments internationally, and another tournament title. He has won The Players Championship and challenged countless times in golf's major events.
This week he put on his Twitter account a post of how much he wished he was back in Augusta for the event. While The Open Championship has been cancelled for this year. The other three major events in golf have penciled in new places on the calendar. Everybody knows that Fowler is considered the best player out there without a major title of his own. Just like his school always prides their teams on playing their best in tough conditions in college golf, wouldn't it be poetic if Fowler got his first major in a year where world and national conditions have been so disrupted.
“You know with some of the majors, the PGA will be first in August, then the U.S. Open, and The Masters, which will be November, there’s at least stuff there toward the end of July and in August into the fall, kind of in the distant future right now, but something there to look forward to," Fowler said of the current amended schedule for professional golf. "For me and J.T. (Justin Thomas) as well, we’ve been taking some time off and we’ll get some clubs back in our hands soon. It’ll be fun gearing up and getting ready for some of the things that are on the schedule, but, like you said, there is still the question of health and safety for family, friends, and everyone around the world comes first.”
Fowler has his mind and heart in the right place, but when the gun goes off or the first introduction at the first tee returns, Fowler sounds like he will be rested and, certainly, hints that he will be ready.
