Rickie Fowler worried about his disappointing performance ahead of the 2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic - "Things haven't been as good"
The 2024 season has not been very fortunate for Rickie Fowler as he only has a T18 as his best result in 17 tournaments played. Although he has made 12 cuts, four came in Signature Events that did not cut any players.
Fowler comes into the 2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic as defending champion and the topic of his season results took up space during his pre-event conference. Fowler reasoned about his shortcomings and identified putting as his main problem.
This was part of what Rickie Fowler had to say (via PGA Tour news service):
"You're seeing it throughout the bag where things haven't been as good. I think a big part of freeing myself up and allowing myself to play better golf starts on the greens and helps when I'm making putts, which last week [at the Travelers Championship] started to see that."
He added:
"Not that ball-striking was good by any means, but I feel like when I'm putting at least up to my standards or at least average, it kind of frees up the rest of the game."
Rickie Fowler had a solid 2022 - 2023 season, with only two missed cuts in 26 events played and eight Top 10s. The capstone was his victory at the 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic, which brought him back to the PGA Tour winner's circle after four and a half years away from it.
However, his victory at Detroit Golf Club was also his last Top 10s to date in official events. Rickie Fowler closed the previous season with a T23 as his best finish in the last five tournaments of the year and has been out of the Top 10 for all of 2024.
A closer look into Rickie Fowler's 2024 season
Rickie Fowler has played 17 tournaments during the current season, with 12 cuts made and a T18 as his best result (RBC Heritage). Four of those 12 tournaments were Signature Events that did not make cuts (The Sentry, AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, RBC Heritage and Travelers Championship).
Fowler has played in all three Majors so far. He finished T30 at the Masters, T63 at the PGA Championship, and missed the cut at the US Open.
Currently, Fowler is ranked 91st in the FedEx Cup standings, which is keeping him out of the FedEx St. Jude Championship, the first event of the playoffs (reserved for the Top 70).
Fowler accumulates 349 points and is 210 points behind Lucas Glover who currently closes the Top 70.
Although Fowler has secured his card until the end of next season (thanks to his victory at the 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic), finishing so far behind in the FedEx Cup standings would significantly affect his chances of playing in the Signature Events and Majors in the 2025 season.