Rickie Fowler On Brink Of Missing Playoffs And Ryder Cup

The American could miss the Playoffs for the first time in his career, which would end his hopes of making his fifth Ryder Cup appearance

Rickie Fowler pictured at the 3M Open on the PGA Tour
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The American could miss the Playoffs for the first time in his career, which would end his hopes of making his fifth Ryder Cup appearance

Rickie Fowler has compared his game to a stuttering dirt bike ahead of a final push to make the FedEx Cup Playoffs and the US Ryder Cup team.

Rickie has never missed the Playoffs in his PGA Tour career but is currently 130th in the standings - five places outside of the qualifiers.

The American is also well down the US points list for the upcoming Ryder Cup and missing out on the Playoffs would end his hopes of making a fifth appearance for Team USA.

Fowler is currently 110th in the world, has recorded just one top-10 this year from 17 starts and is without a victory since February 2019.

He needs a solid week at the Wyndham Championship, the final event of the regular PGA Tour season, to keep his hopes alive.

"Yeah, like I said, not in the position we wanted to be going into this week, but I really, all it comes down to is just playing solid golf," Fowler said.

"I can't necessarily put extra pressure or anything like that, but yeah, need to get some points to secure my spot in the playoffs and make more birdies than you do bogeys and play some solid golf and everything will be all right.

Rickie Fowler pictured after winning the 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open

Rickie's last win came at the 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open

"With the position I'm in, age-wise, and yeah, I'd have to play my ass off the next few weeks to have a chance there, which like you said, it's not out of the question.

"Like in my terms, it would be like I'm trying to kickstart a dirt bike and just sitting there kicking every once in a while, kind of fire up, get going, get a few revs.

"I'll keep kicking, she's bound to start. There's been a lot of good stuff within the past four, five, six months, more and more, a little more frequently.

"It's been a bummer that I've been kicking this long, but we're still here kicking."

Related: 20 things you didn't know about Rickie Fowler

The five-time PGA Tour winner played in just two Majors this year and missed the Masters and US Open for the first time since 2010.

He also failed to qualify for the PGA Championship but was awarded a special exemption.

Fowler hasn't quite given up on making the Ryder Cup team but accepts that any kind of role at Whistling Straits would be fantastic.

"If the guys wanted me there, I'd be there in a heartbeat," he said.

"They're such fun weeks to be a part of whether you're playing or not.

"Some of my favorite times have been when I've sat out and basically got to be there as, you know, a makeshift assistant captain in a way. You're out there supporting the crew and being around.

"It's a lot more fun playing, but just being a part of those weeks is very special.

"Yeah, if I got asked or had the opportunity to go be a part of it, it would be awesome.

"We'll see if we can take advantage of the next month or so starting here this week and give ourselves an outside shot at it."

Elliott Heath
News Editor

Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!


Elliott is currently playing:


Driver: Titleist TSR4

3 wood: Titleist TSi2

Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1

Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5

Ball: Srixon Z Star XV