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Rickie Fowler: What he brings to TaylorMade Driving Relief event

By Tim Letcher

PEBBLE BEACH, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 15: Rickie Fowler of the United States plays his shot from the third tee during the third round of the 2019 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links on June 15, 2019 in Pebble Beach, California. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)
PEBBLE BEACH, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 15: Rickie Fowler of the United States plays his shot from the third tee during the third round of the 2019 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links on June 15, 2019 in Pebble Beach, California. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images) /
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Rickie Fowler has proven to be a flashy, solid player on the PGA Tour. Can he and partner Matthew Wolff stun DJ and Rory on Sunday?

Rickie Fowler has had his back against the wall before. In the 2010 Ryder Cup singles’ matches, Fowler faced a huge deficit against Edoardo Molinari. Fowler trailed by three with three holes to play.

To make the situation even more tenuous, if Fowler lost, the Ryder Cup would go back to the European team, which already had 13.5 points in the competition. Talk about pressure.

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But the young Fowler, then just 21 years old and a Ryder Cup rookie, clawed his way back, winning each of those last three holes to keep the Americans in the competition, at least for the time being. The Euros would end up winning, but it wasn’t because Fowler didn’t do his part.

Fowler, along with teammate Matthew Wolff, face daunting odds in Sunday’s TaylorMade Driving Relief skins game. Perhaps not as daunting as that Ryder Cup deficit, but playing against Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy will definitely be a challenge for the pair.

Fowler, however, appears to be up for the challenge. He knows that he and Wolff are underdogs, but he also knows that they have the games to put pressure on the two former world number ones.

In the case of this particular match, Fowler will need to bring his experience to help Wolff, who will be stepping onto a very big stage for a 21-year-old. The two have already bonded, since both are from California and both played collegiate golf at Oklahoma State. Fowler will need to be the steadying force in this pairing, especially at the outset, as Wolff gets comfortable in front of a couple of the world’s best players.

Fowler, who wears the unfortunate crown of best player to never win a major, has the game to compete with anyone, even Johnson and McIlroy. Fowler has finished second in the Masters (2018), U.S. Open (2014) and the Open Championship (2014). His best finish in the PGA Championship was a third-place showing in 2014.

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His biggest win on the PGA Tour was when he won the Players Championship in 2015. The PGA Rookie of the Year in 2010, Fowler has now won five times on tour and two wins on the European Tour.

If Fowler and Wolff are to pull the huge upset over Johnson and McIlroy, it will be because Fowler is the steadying force early and because Wolff is not intimidated. That doesn’t appear likely, on paper, but Fowler and Wolff and not conceding anything.

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