For the first time since 2020, Rickie Fowler teed it up in all four major championships a season ago.
He was never a genuine threat to win any of them—tying for 30th at The Masters, tying for 63rd at the PGA Championship, missing the cut at the U.S. Open, and finishing solo 71st at The Open Championship—but at least he was there.
However, barring some sort of miracle over the next few days, that won't be the case for the six-time PGA Tour winner in 2025.
Fowler came to the Valero Texas Open with one single path to get into the field at Augusta National next week: Win.
And that's simply not going to happen, not with the way he opened his week on the Oaks Course at TPC San Antonio. In fact, the 36-year-old may not even make the cut.
Rickie Fowler's Masters dream is done after an opening-round 75 at the Valero Texas Open
With an abundance of birdie opportunities available on a prime scoring day in San Antonio, Fowler simply couldn't take advantage.
Playing in the morning wave and starting his day on the back side at the Oaks Course, the Oklahoma State alum opened with a bogey at the par-4 10th and tacked on two more on his first nine to go out in 3-over 39.
A fourth bogey followed at the par-4 first hole, but he did manage to get a shot back with a birdie at the par-5 second. But it was all pars from there, giving Fowler a 3-over 75, putting him a full dozen shots behind leader Sam Ryder, who made nine birdies en route to a bogey-free 63.
Heading into the second round, Fowler finds himself in a tie for 120th. So, again, it'll take an absolute miracle for him to make The Masters for only the second time in five years. And with the 36-hole cut set to include only the top 65 and ties, he'll need to surpass quite a few players on Friday just to make it to the weekend.
Now the 110th-ranked player in the world, Fowler is already guaranteed a spot in next month's PGA Championship at Quail Hollow. But he's currently not in the field for the U.S. Open at Oakmont or The Open Championship at Royal Portrush.
So, Rickie will need to right the ship soon if he wants to play more than one major this year.