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Rickie fowler. "big hat, no cattle"

Grand Stranded

Grand Stranded

Keep grinding… you never know
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Ever since his rookie year, when he laid up from about 220, it just seems this guy just can't close the deal. Like most, I want to see him get it done, but it just seems like there's something missing. He's very likeable, and a hard guy not to root for. However, if you take away the hype, there really isn't much to see, except for the crash and burns on the weekends. What do you guys think? Am I judging him too harshly? It's not like he's a journeyman, he's loaded with talent... What's going on?
 
Still in his 20's, over $30,000,000 in winnings, 8 wins including a Players Championship...I think Tiger messed it up for everyone. It's gonna take a while still for everyone to get used to how good you really need to be to win consistently and dominate the way we saw it done back in the early 2000's.
 
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Maybe he just can't handle the pressure, maybe he just had a bad day on Sunday. Could be lots of different factors. He does have a pattern of not finishing a tourney though.
 
I'm not sure. Maybe he wants it too badly, maybe he doesn't want it enough...who knows?
 
8 wins (1 Players), 8 top 10's in majors, top 10 OWGR. He's above journeymen for sure. He's very consistent but has stumbled on Sunday's. I think he has a 73 stroke average for Sunday. I'm still rooting for him as he's one of my favorite tour players.
 
The current tournament landscape really requires you to out together four good rounds or at least 3 to be able to pull off a win. We're seeing more and more guys leading on day 3 and waning down the stretch. I don't think Ricki has an issue closing that's any different than some other top talent out there. It's just tough to do.
And to PhillyV's point...Tiger was a rare exception in dominance we may never see again.
 
it's a tough one. i would love to see an analysis for the past 10 years of the guys leading after thursdays, fridays, and saturdays relative to their final position on the leaderboard after the 72nd hole. i think rickie's flashy style and general likeability make us take more notice of him than other guys who may (though i honestly have no idea) struggle as much if not more than he to close the deal.
 
I got to meet a young Sergio Garcia at the first US Open at Bethpage. The one where everyone got on him. He couldn't have been nicer. Really respected how he hung in and battled the two crowd favorites, Tiger and Phil. Ever since he's been my favorite, and I was so happy to see him win a Masters title. Fowler's career seems to be headed on a similar path. Lot of disappointing moments, but the undeniable "it factor".
 
I agree, Tiger messed up people's expectations!. Rickie will be just fine. He's too good a putter not to win his share.
 
ChristopherKee said:
8 wins (1 Players), 8 top 10's in majors, top 10 OWGR. He's above journeymen for sure. He's very consistent but has stumbled on Sunday's. I think he has a 73 stroke average for Sunday. I'm still rooting for him as he's one of my favorite tour players.
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8 wins? I thought it was only 4. Players, Honda, Wells Fargo and Deutsche Bank
 
I think people don't realise that the feild has way more debt that it had, there used to be 1 tiger, now there are like 20 of them. I don't they they are any less good than he was, but the other guys are just as good.
 
I don't think there are 20 Tigers out there... not even close. Maybe if the Golf Channel would stop the constant gushing over Rickie, our expectations might be more realistic? He's so hard to root against. Did you see him fist bump Reavie on 18? Class.
 
SC LEFTY said:
I don't think there are 20 Tigers out there... not even close. Maybe if the Golf Channel would stop the constant gushing over Rickie, our expectations might be more realistic? He's so hard to root against. Did you see him fist bump Reavie on 18? Class.
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I agree with the bolded. But I dont think its any fault of the Golf Channel. Its their job to create hype for a sport most watch casually, especially during a weekend where everyone in the world is going to be watching something else come Sunday evening.
 
Rickie has over $30M in winnings since turning pro (or ~$3.3M/year average), and that isn't including endorsements and appearance fees. So I'd say that he has been wildly successful. As for his blow up into the home stretch this weekend; I can't say that I'm surprised and maybe I'm the only one, but when I was watching I was kind of wondering when it would happen. Not if, but when his play would start deteriorating. That's a lot of weight to carry into Sunday, versus coming into Sunday down a few strokes and carrying an "underdog"/"nothing to lose" mentality.

DJ was asked after a win last season what it was like to go low and win on the PGA Tour (I think he shot a 61 or 63 to win it). His response was really simple, "It feels the same, but more putts are dropping." Rickie couldn't get his putter hot yesterday and his confidence and position on the leader board went with it.
 
There are too many good players these days that you have to be on your game constantly for every single shot, otherwise someone else will pip you to the post

PhillyV said:
8 wins? I thought it was only 4. Players, Honda, Wells Fargo and Deutsche Bank
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If you are only counting the PGA Tour, then yes, it is only 4 wins

But there are other tours where he has another 4 wins (2 European, 1 OneAsia and the Hero World Challenge)
 
SliceCity said:
Rickie has over $30M in winnings since turning pro (or ~$3.3M/year average), and that isn't including endorsements and appearance fees. So I'd say that he has been wildly successful. As for his blow up into the home stretch this weekend; I can't say that I'm surprised and maybe I'm the only one, but when I was watching I was kind of wondering when it would happen. Not if, but when his play would start deteriorating. That's a lot of weight to carry into Sunday, versus coming into Sunday down a few strokes and carrying an "underdog"/"nothing to lose" mentality.

DJ was asked after a win last season what it was like to go low and win on the PGA Tour (I think he shot a 61 or 63 to win it). His response was really simple, "It feels the same, but more putts are dropping." Rickie couldn't get his putter hot yesterday and his confidence and position on the leader board went with it.
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Spieth is 2015 was pretty damn close. $12M in cash, 5 wins, 10 top 3's, won the Masters, US Open, finished 2nd in the PGA championship and won the Tour Championship
 
Did TGC put up a stat where his stroke average on Sunday with the 54 hole lead is 73.2?

That says it all. It's in his head.
 
What DJ said is true, but let's be honest. Were you surprised to see him crash, or were you waiting for it? One more thing, as far as career earnings, nobody is saying Fowler isn't a top 10-15 talent. All those guys are making a ton of money out there. I do think Rickie has a serious issue closing. It's one thing to get beat by someone, its quite different watching someone beat themselves. Seems to happen way too often to him for a player of his ability.
 
TheDoctor said:
There are too many good players these days that you have to be on your game constantly for every single shot, otherwise someone else will pip you to the post



If you are only counting the PGA Tour, then yes, it is only 4 wins

But there are other tours where he has another 4 wins (2 European, 1 OneAsia and the Hero World Challenge)
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Ya if it counts towards OWGR it counts in my book. Hey it supports my first post better anyways haha
 
He certainly struggled with closing out tournaments in the past, but I think he's grown past that to a point. WM seems like that tournament to him that is going to be a tough victory because he continues to give himself chances and falls flat. I don't think he's ever going to be a dominate golfer, heck I don't know who can be with the talent in the game today.
 
It is really, really tough to put four great rounds together back to back to back, especially at this level. Fowler has put himself in position so many times that his failures are more obvious than most others.
 
I wonder if the expectations were high just because he's a likable guy, rather than a truly elite player, we've already seen flaws in his game that players who close Majors don't have.
 
Most golfers don't reach their peak until their 30s. We have been spoiled a little with the young guys starting with Spieth and Rory coming oitw and winning right away. Rickie has the tendency to be aggressive and push thumhs and it's bit him on the weekends. This weekend he was fighting his swing and surprisingly he wasn't making putts. Listening to his interview yesterday he had a couple shots coming down the stretch that were affected by the wines that didn't help.

While he may not have closed out some events he was leading after 54 holes or fallen off the leaderboard in others where he was contending he has shown with the Players and in most majors he can hang. He has matured a lot over his career and I expect him to win more here soon
 
Lots of good opinions here. I don't think anyone out there now is going to dominate. Like Ddec and others have said, there's a lot of talent out there. Just wonder if Rickie really has "the chops" to hang in with the likes of Jordan, Justin, DJ, and Rory for the next few years, or will he be a small notch below?
 
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