The 2014 PGA Tour season should be considered a breakthrough year for Rickie Fowler. The 25-year-old put together one of the most impressive performances we’ve ever seen in the major championships this year. He finished in the top 5 in each of this year’s major championships. It’s a feat that has only been accomplished by Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus, the top two golfers of all time. Not bad company for Fowler.
Rickie Fowler starts 2014 Ryder Cup as US roster’s best player
Coming off his best season as a professional and one of the few Americans who played well all year, Rickie Fowler must earn points and lead the USA side at the Ryder Cup.
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There is one problem, though. Woods and Nicklaus both won in the years they finished top 5 in each major championship. Fowler did not. So the question becomes: can Fowler translate his major championship form into a strong Ryder Cup and put an exclamation point on a great season?
US Captain Tom Watson sure hopes so. On a US team that features three rookies and several players that are not exactly at their best right now (ahem, Webb Simpson), Fowler will need to come up big for the Americans. As his major championship resume this year shows, he is one of America’s best bets. Only he and Jim Furyk could really claim they were playing well in the months leading up to the cup, and Fowler should be option No. 1 for the captain.
This is Fowler’s second Ryder Cup and he has also played in two Walker Cups. That is a lot of team golf experience for a 25-year old. His first Ryder Cup in 2010 was a learning experience. Fowler grinded to a record of 0-1-2. His last round may have been his best, halving his singles match with Edoardo Molinari.
Prior to the Ryder Cup, Fowler was a stud for the US team during the Walker Cups, the amateur version of this week’s more famous match play competition. In two Walker Cups, Fowler compiled a 7-1 record, even beating an 18 year-old Rory McIlroy. Given the up-and-down nature of match play, it’s an incredible record.
Another storyline to watch for Fowler is who he will team up with. It’s looking like Fowler may be paired with Jimmy Walker, another ace ball-striker who won three times before mid-February and never really tailed off toward the end of the season. If Fowler and Walker are put together, it will be a lot of weight in one pairing -- two of the few guys who have been in form and one of the few who has actually won this year. They’ll need to put points on the board if the underdog Americans are to have a chance.
Age: 25
World ranking: 10
Ryder Cup record (Win-Loss-Halve): 0-1-2
Past Ryder Cup appearance: 2010
How he qualified: Automatic spot -- 2nd in standings (6,733.253 points)
