Why Rickie Fowler Is an Overrated Player

Everyone knows Rickie Fowler as the 35-year-old who made a name for himself when he first teed up on the PGA Tour in 2010. Over the last decade, the Murrieta native has made thousands, if not millions, of fans and they all love the PGA Tour star wearing orange on the final Sunday round.

But what has been annoying over the past few decades is the lack of victories in Fowler’s resume. However, despite that, whenever the PGA Tour star announces his next event, the fans are always expecting a victory and cheering for the pro just as they did when he teed up at the Shriners Children’s Open. But the win is nowhere to be seen and for these three reasons, at times it seems that Fowler has become an overrated golfer.

1. Rickie Fowler’s PGA Tour failures

It has been fourteen years since Rickie Fowler has been a part of the PGA Tour, but the 35-year-old has not achieved as much success or laurels as expected. To understand the depth of it all, a comparison with Viktor Hovland can put things into perspective as in the last 14 years Fowler won only six times and Hovland acquired the same amount of wins even though he debuted on the PGA Tour in 2020 (a decade after Fowler).

Yes, Fowler received the 2010 Rookie of the Year award because of his various top finishes over Rory McIlroy. However, after 14 years, McIlroy has 26 Tour victories, three times of Fowler’s. Additionally, he last won at the 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic and he has been without a win for more than a year. And unfortunately, in the 2024 season, Fowler faltered more than ever, ashe carded only one top 10, at the ZOZO Championship (solo 4th), among the total of 23 events he played and was probably disappointed. This leads to the next point, the four majors.

2. Majors do not favor Fowler at all

Rickie Fowler has never won a major in his career. In over a decade, he could not lift a Wanamaker Trophy or wear a green jacket. He has been part of many major championships, but his best performance came in the 2014 season. That year, Fowler finished tied for runner-up at the Open Championship and the US Open, he was also T5 at the Masters and T3 at the PGA Championship.

But to get to the winner’s podium has never been his luck. After these records, the only other time, the 35-year-old carded another runner-up at any of the four majors was at the 2018 Masters and that’s all. You would be wondering about his 2024 run, so here it is. Masters T30, PGA Championship T63, he missed the cut at Pinehurst No. 2 and was 71st at the Open Championship. Now one may wonder, can Fowler still be part of the best golfers’ group?

3. Fowler’s record at the Ryder Cup

Rickie Fowler was deemed to be the most experienced golfer at the Ryder Cup in 2023 as he had been part of Team USA four times till then, in 2010, 2014, 2016, and 2018. Overall with last year’s results, Fowler has played 17 matches in the patriotic team event as a pro. But his winning rate is disappointing. He has won only three times! yes, just 3 outright victories; one in foursome, one in fourballs, and one in Sunday Singles.

He has tied nine matches and lost five times. Surprisingly, the 35-year-old has been part of the Ryder Cup winning only once from his five participations, which came in 2016 when Team USA won in Hazeltine. Undoubtedly, it is shocking that Fowler is considered a veteran for Team USA but he just couldn’t win for the team as much it is expected from him.