Last season was something of a comeback tour for Rickie Fowler. He had seven top 10s and won the Rocket Mortgage Classic. This season he's regressed. His best finish was a tie for 18th at the RBC Heritage in April. He just finished defending his title at the Rocket Mortgage Classic this weekend.
He finished the tournament tied for 31st place, his best round being a six-under-par first round 66, a disappointing result for one of the most popular players on tour.
His putting average is currently 1.772, ranking him 116th on tour. Fowler commented on his putting struggles prior to Rocket Mortgage: “You can't see the putt going in so it adds that extra stress of having to hit it on the green or hit it closer or hit a chip shot closer. When you can see the putt going in, the circle gets a lot bigger.”
Fowler has also struggled to get out of the red. His birdie average per round of 3.61 ranks him 129th. Compared to last season, his birdie average of 4.16 ranks him 24th. He is not currently scheduled to play in this week's John Deere Classic tournament.
Fowler's future success will depend on him being able to recapture the form he showed last year. The six-time tour winner can't afford to lose. He's proven time and time again that he can be one of the best players in the world. But this season, time is running out.
He currently sits at 93rd in the FedEx Cup standings. Only the top 70 players advance to a playoff that begins at the FedEx St. Jude Championship in August. Fowler's next chance to find his groove again could be at the Genesis Scottish Open.