Rickie Fowler Still Chasing Elusive First Major

Although still relatively young, 27-year-old Rickie Fowler appears to be overdue for a major win.

His signature Sunday orange look is hard to miss, but what isn’t hard to miss is the fact that Rickie Fowler still hasn’t won a major championship. This past Sunday, his putt on the 18th hole at final round of The Open Championship found the cup for a par, which isn’t all that bad, but it marked the end of another lost week at a major.

He is still young and considered one the best golfers in the world — he just hasn’t been able to seal the deal. He is No. 7 in the world ranking, currently holding the distinction of being the highest-ranked golfer without a major.

Winning a major is at the top of every golfer’s list, but for some, it is just so far away. In the case of Rickie Fowler, he has come just about as close as you can get to a win at three of the four major championships. The 2014 season was probably his peak in terms of major performance.

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At the 2014 Masters, Fowler shot a 67 in the third round to move into a tie for fifth at three-under, just two shots off the lead. He wasn’t able to match eventual champion Bubba Watson’s pace in the final round, however, and remained in a tie for fifth place.

At the 2014 U.S. Open, Fowler once again came close to earning the title. This time it was Martin Kaymer who prevailed — Fowler finished just one spot back, in a tie for second with Erik Compton. At the year’s third major, The Open Championship, he failed to outgun Rory McIlroy and was again tied for second at the end of Sunday afternoon.

Finally, the year’s last major came and went, and yes, you guessed it, Rickie Fowler once again finished near the top of the leaderboard. This time he sat in third place, just two strokes off the winning score at the PGA Championship. Despite playing some really good golf in 2014, he ended up empty-handed.

In 27 major starts so far, things may not have gone exactly how Fowler wanted them to, but he does have some big-time tournament wins to hang his hat on. In 2015, he captured the biggest win of his career at the Players Championship. It was just his second PGA Tour win, over three years after his first at the 2012 Wells Fargo Championship. He also won the Deutsche Bank Championship on Labor Day. He’s also seen success on the European Tour, winning the 2015 AAM Scottish Open as well as the 2016 Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.

He has just one more chance this season to capture that ever elusive first major championship. The PGA Championship at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, New Jersey is the final major of the 2016 season. If he plans on picking up his first, he must be ready for the quick turnaround from The Open Championship. Only one tournament lies between the two majors, and the PGA is now less than a week away.

Next: Jordan Spieth: Should We Start to Worry?

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