Watch: Rickie Fowler makes fans' day by signing kids' foreheads at The Players Championship 2024
Rickie Fowler is the true definition of a fan favorite. He's about as popular as any golfer in the entire world despite perhaps not having the same level of success as some of them. He's never won a Major, nor has he ever been the world's top ranked golfer by OWGR (he got as high as fourth in 2016).
Despite all of that, he has devoted fans that love to watch him golf. Even now, he has fans lined up to get autographs, including some children who are prepared to get written on their bodies. Fowler signed a few kids' foreheads. Check it out below:
He signed a couple of autographs in very unique places: on foreheads. The kids must not have had any paper, so Fowler took the pen to their bodies and signed away.
The announcers remarked that they might never wash their faces ever again. It's unclear how they aim to preserve the autographs since this won't last like paper or equipment/merchandise will, but these kids were given a memory they'll not soon forget.
Fowler was preparing for the PLAYERS Championship, which is golf's fifth unofficial Major. It's one of the biggest tournaments of the year and it is one that Fowler has won before. He took home the trophy in 2015.
He is paired with Scottie Scheffler and Justin Thomas, so their hole will be one that attracts the attention of loads of fans.
Rickie Fowler recently changed equipment
Rickie Fowler underwent an equipment change ahead of the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Finding himself in a rut of bad form, the American decided to try some new drivers and did a shaft change.
Via GolfWRX, Fowler said his new Aerojet head is really good, but that his dispersion has been a struggle. He said his old LS head wasn't bad, but that the Aerojet could help tighten things up.
"I would say that it was probably a little faster, but, a big thing out here is hitting fairways. So hitting out of the middle (of the face) it’s very good. I was just struggling with mishits."
He went on to add:
“Yes, we do mishit them. And I just thought I could get a little tighter dispersion. So, that was where the thought of going and trying the X head. Just trying to get, like I said, a tighter window on mishits. And so with that head, there’s obviously different shape, different weighting, probably starting out, it’s maybe a touch more – or can be – not draw-biased, but have a little bit more left versus the LS."
Fowler said he was looking for stability:
"Something that I was going to be able to hit and trust to hit at the fairway more often. So that was kind of the main idea behind it. It was pretty solid last week. Trying to validate a little bit more.”
Time will tell if it was the right decision, with the biggest event of the 2024 season on the horizon.