Rickie Fowler expains how motocross influenced his golf game and style
Rickie Fowler is one of the best golfers in the world and is just coming off a top-5 finish at the 2023 US Open. It might be surprising to know that Fowler learned a lot from motorsports and that it influenced his golf game seriously.
The two sports could not be any more different, yet Rickie Fowler managed to find a connection between motocross and golf. He grew up in the driver's seat and around dirt bikes. His father had a love for the sport, which meant that as Fowler was growing up, he did too. However, it became clear in his teenage years that golf was his true calling.
At the age of 15, Rickie Fowler broke his leg in three different spots and had to give up motocross. Instead, he decided to pursue the slower, more patient game of golf. However, he did not forget the values that motocross taught him.
Speaking via Sporting News, Fowler talked about how he inculcated those values into golf:
"Motocross made me a bit fearless on the course. I've taken the more conservative route on the bike now, but I'm still taking risks and having fun on the golf course."
Rickie Fowler learned to take the leap of faith in golf by competing in Motocross
Rickie Fowler's inspiration worked, especially as he rose to World No. 45. He has five PGA Tour wins under his belt, including the Wells Fargo Championship and the Phoenix Open.
He said:
"I mean, on a dirt bike, when you're sizing up a jump you can't have any second thoughts. You have to fully commit. If you don't, a lot of things can go wrong. And when things go wrong on a bike, it's a lot worse than when they go wrong on the golf course. Once you commit, you just go. Same goes for a golf shot."
Rickie Fowler aka "the motocross kid" at the 2009 @SafewayOpen.
He finished T-2.
https://t.co/KSV0ivgm6Q
His recent T5 finish at the 2023 US Open saw him card an all-time low US Open record of 62 during his first round at LACC. With an already fantastic season in the works, Fowler now sets his sights on the last major of the year, the British Open.