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Rickie Fowler’s Reaction To His First Win in 1,610 Days Was Absolutely Priceless

Fowler won the Rocket Mortgage Classic after a one-hole playoff with Collin Morikawa and Adam Hadwin.

Gabrielle Herzig

Rickie Fowler just returned to the winner’s circle on the PGA Tour for the first time in 1,610 days at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, and his reaction to the victory couldn’t have been more fitting. 

Fowler, who last won at the 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open, defeated Collin Morikawa and Adam Hadwin on the first hole of a sudden death playoff to clinch his sixth PGA Tour victory. 

A clutch birdie on the 18th hole during regulation play got Fowler into the three-man playoff. 

MORE: Final prize money from the Rocket Mortgage Classic

When his putt on the 18th hole dropped, Fowler looked up to the sky and took a deep breath, almost as if a weight had been physically lifted off of his shoulders. A winless drought of more than four years was finally over.

It was a priceless moment, followed by even cooler reactions from those surrounding the 34-year-old. 

Ricky Romano, Fowler’s caddie, came running up for a massive hug, holding on tight while Fowler acknowledged the crowd with his JailBird putter. 

In the background, even Hadwin could be seen clapping along with the elated Detroit crowds. 

Fans immediately erupted into a “Rickie” chant as Fowler shook hands with his competitors, swarmed by media. 

“It’s hard to really put it all into words,” Fowler told CBS while holding his daughter, Maya. “Obviously a lot of good stuff this year, been playing some really good golf. I knew it was just a matter of time with how I’ve been playing. I’ve had a couple tough weekends where I’ve had a chance. U.S. Open didn’t get it done.

“But at the end of the day, getting to hold her, getting to hang with Maya and my wife. Winning is great but there’s a lot more to life than that.”

What an incredible moment for Fowler and for the entire golf community. 

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Gabrielle Herzig
GABRIELLE HERZIG

Gabrielle Herzig is a Breaking and Trending News writer for Sports Illustrated Golf. Previously, she worked as a Golf Digest Contributing Editor, an NBC Sports Digital Editorial Intern, and a Production Runner for FOX Sports at the site of the 2018 U.S. Open. Gabrielle graduated as a Politics Major from Pomona College in Claremont, California, where she was a four-year member and senior-year captain of the Pomona-Pitzer women’s golf team. In her junior year, Gabrielle studied abroad in Scotland for three months, where she explored the Home of Golf by joining the Edinburgh University Golf Club.

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