Rickie Fowler Still Has Shot At Ryder Cup 'Conversation,' Hasn't Ruled It Out
Rickie Fowler has made a late-season surge, finishing in far better form than he began. While he's reached some key milestones—like a last-minute top-50 finish in the FedEx Cup standings—he's aware that other goals, such as making the Ryder Cup team, are likely out of reach.
Yet, Fowler hasn't completely ruled himself out of the Ryder Cup "conversation." Although he knows his chances are very limited, he's made clear that a strong showing at the BMW Championship could put him in the free-picks spotlight.
"That (the Ryder Cup) is still a long way out there," Fowler told the reporters at the Caves Valley Golf Club. "I need to play some good golf this week to extend my potential to sneak into even (being) in the conversation."
US golfer, Rickie Fowler prepares to begin a practice round ahead of the 44th Ryder Cup at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome on September 27, 2023.
US golfer, Rickie Fowler prepares to begin a practice round ahead of the 44th Ryder Cup at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome on September 27, 2023.
ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP/Getty Images
Fowler's chances of making the Ryder Cup feel like a moonshot: ambitious, but highly unlikely. He is so far behind in the rankings that winning the BMW Championship would only put him around 15th place, which is far from a secure position for one of captain Keegan Bradley's free picks.
Perhaps that's why Fowler is focusing on other goals. The six-time PGA Tour winner knows that his golf game hasn't been its best lately, so he's taking small steps in the right direction.
"Going into years, there's always -- you want to go win, get in contention," he said. "For me, that was general. A lot of it was just making cuts, getting in contention, going and playing tournaments and stringing together and kind of trying to build on things. Looking farther would be, yeah, top 50 was a goal. It got a little closer than I would have liked to have been in a comfortable spot."
A FedEx Cup top-50 finish is a tremendously important result. Not only does it allow him to play in the BMW Championship and guarantee his PGA Tour card for next season, but it also gives him a spot in the field at all of next year's Signature Events.
This, in turn, allows him more leeway in his schedule, which translates into the possibility of more rest in the fall.
"That secures a lot of things for me next year, so going back to the fall, I'm not sure what or how much I'll do," he said. "I would love to go play a bunch, but I need to work on the body side of it first to make sure I can go play a bunch next year."
Fowler has played in 20 tournaments this season, with eight top-25 finishes, including two top-10s. His best finish of the year came just last week, finishing tied for sixth at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, the first tournament of the FedEx Cup playoffs.
More Golf: Scottie Scheffler's Caddie Won't Be Back for BMW Championship
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
11 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Bryson DeChambeau Admits Underestimating Jon Rahm After LIV Golf Showdown
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Jon Rahm nearly clinched victory at LIV Golf Chicago last weekend, falling just one stroke short in a three-man playoff against Dean Burmester. The Spanish star fired a final-round 69 to finish at 9-under, tied with fellow countryman Josele Ballester, while Burmester clinched the win with a clutch birdie on the 18th. With nearly 40 days remaining until the Ryder Cup, Rahm's form couldn't be peaking at a better moment. He currently sits second in the LIV Golf individual standings with 196.16 points, trailing only Joaquin Nieman. Though Rahm hasn't claimed a LIV title this year, his consistency has been remarkable. The Legion XIII captain has 13 top-10 finishes. But not everyone saw this coming. As LIV Golf shifts to Indianapolis for its season finale at The Club at Chatham Hills, Bryson DeChambeau offered a candid admission about misjudging Rahm's dominance. WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, WEST VIRGINIA - AUGUST 16: Jon Rahm of Spain hand shakes Bryson DeChambeau of the United States after finishing the 18th hole during day one of LIV Golf: Greenbrier at The Old... WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, WEST VIRGINIA - AUGUST 16: Jon Rahm of Spain hand shakes Bryson DeChambeau of the United States after finishing the 18th hole during day one of LIV Golf: Greenbrier at The Old White Course on August 16, 2024 in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. (Photo by) More "I kicked him out in Dallas, I remember doing that, so I was like, yes, not a top 10," DeChambeau shared with a grin during the Wednesday conference. "But his feat of not finishing outside 11th place his entire career is quite honestly one of the best feats I've seen in a long time." DeChambeau, currently third in the LIV Golf standings, has had a strong season himself, winning in Korea and posting 11 top-10 finishes. Yet he acknowledged that chasing Rahm and Niemann has felt like a losing battle. "I've played some solid golf, not my best, but really solid, and I've got no chance to win," he stated during the same conference. "It's really impressive. The level of competition they (Jon Rahm & Co.) bring to LIV is out of control." The "Break 50" YouTuber also acknowledged Niemann's dominance, highlighting his five wins but reserved special admiration for Rahm's relentless consistency. "What they're doing is great for LIV, it's great for golf," he expressed during the pre-tournament conference. "And honestly, I think whoever wins... it's going to be an awesome feat and a historical year for either one of those individuals." As the Saudi-backed club's final regular-season event begins Friday, Rahm and Niemann will battle for the individual title, while DeChambeau eyes a podium finish. More Golf: Paige Spiranac Makes Emotions Clear Amid Tommy Fleetwood's All-Class Moment
Newsweek
11 minutes ago
- Newsweek
John Daly's Son Earns Dad's Roaring Support With New Golf Achievement
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Three decades ago, John Daly burst onto the golf scene with a swing as wild as his personality. The bad boy won two majors, captivated crowds and rewrote the rules of what a fan favorite could look like. Now, it's his son, John Daly II, making headlines. On Wednesday at The Olympic Club, Daly II advanced to the Round of 32 at the U.S. Amateur Championship, delivering a composed 1-up victory over Cooper Claycomb in match play. The senior-to-be at the University of Arkansas won the 11th hole with a birdie and halved the remaining 17 holes, his scorecard a stark contrast to the flamboyant flair his father once brought to the game. ORLANDO, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 18: John Daly of the United States and son Little John Daly Jr. of the United States look on from the 12th green during the final round of the PNC Championship... ORLANDO, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 18: John Daly of the United States and son Little John Daly Jr. of the United States look on from the 12th green during the final round of the PNC Championship at Ritz-Carlton Golf Club on December 18, 2022 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by) More Getty Images "All the putts I missed short, I hit the lines exactly where I wanted," Daly told reporters post-round, as reported by USGA. "The one on 6, it was a 360 lip-out. There's nothing you can do about that." He added, "It stinks that I had to play Cooper. He's one of my good friends, but it was a fun match." Back home, John Daly Sr. was watching closely. The two-time major winner posted a proud message on his Instagram story, typing, "LFG! My Boy!!" Unlike his father's "wild thing" reputation, Daly II's scorecard was a model of consistency of pars on Wednesday. His performance stood out in a field stacked with elite talent. Five of the top 10 amateurs in the world also advanced on Wednesday World No. 1 Jackson Koivun of Auburn birdied the par-5 17th to close out Ryan Vools. No. 2 Ben James, a senior at Virginia, defeated Parker Claxton 2-and-1. Fourth-ranked Preston Stout cruised past Pennson Badgett 4-and-3. But not all top seeds survived. No. 6 Tommy Morrison of Texas lost in extra holes to 18-year-old Mason Howell after a bogey on 17 and a double bogey on the 19th. No. 5 Filip Jakubcik fell to Eric Lee in 19 holes. Other top-10 players to advance included Jace Summy (No. 7) and Christiaan Maas (No. 9). Germany's Tim Wiedenmeyer staged the biggest comeback, winning his final four holes to defeat Reed Greyserman 2-and-1. In one of the day's most dramatic matches, Niall Shiels Donegan, son of longtime Guardian golf writer Lawrence Donegan, birdied the final two holes to beat Luke Poulter, son of Ryder Cup veteran Ian Poulter, 1-up. Donegan had earlier survived a 20-for-17 playoff to earn his spot in match play. As for Daly II, he teed off the Round of 32 on Thursday at 11:42 a.m. ET. More Golf: Bryson DeChambeau Compares Scottie Scheffler to Tiger Woods in This Skill
USA Today
40 minutes ago
- USA Today
Caves Valley undergoes major renovation, no more birdie-tests at BMW Championship
OWINGS MILLS, Md. – Don't expect another birdie-fest at Caves Valley Golf Club this week. Four years ago, the course was torched by the field of 50 at the BMW Championship. The field averaged nearly 3 strokes under par per round with both Patrick Cantlay and Bryson DeChambeau shooting a remarkable 27-under-par 261. Club officials said they didn't have enough time to do what the club had in mind ahead of the 2021 BMW. Soft conditions, wide fairways and barely a breeze meant the pros attacked and took no prisoners. That was the impetus for the club signing off on a full-scale renovation of the Tom Fazio-designed layout in the northwest suburb of Baltimore in October 2022. Fazio worked with former U.S. Amateur champion Buddy Marucci, a longtime member, as consultant on the project. Beginning on July 31, 2023, they blew up the course and built a better one in 103 days, moving more than 45,000 cubic feet of dirt on the first hole alone. 'It almost looked like a bomb went off,' Kyle Steidel, the course superintendent, told PGA That gentle, welcoming first hole that played 361 yards? It's now weighing in at 481 and even playing downhill will demand a mid-iron approach. The course has been stretched to 7,601 yards, and plays as a par 70, with two short par 5s being converted to par 4s for the pros. The fairways have been narrowed, the rough is longer and the course should play firmer and faster. (There's a Precision-Aire system underneath to help it stay that way despite overnight rain Wednesday.) Caves Valley ranks No. 6 in Maryland on Golfweek's Best Private Courses list and is tied for No. 132 on Golfweek's Best Modern Courses list for all layouts built in or after 1960 in the U.S. Pro Michael Kim joked on social media that 27 under wouldn't be the winning score this time. If they wanted a better test for the pros, they have succeeded. 'I think they definitely accomplished that goal. I think they changed two holes from par-5s to par-4s and didn't really move tee boxes or anything like that. So that's eight shots there already in score to par,' Scottie Scheffler said. 'It's a pretty strong test this week.' Rory McIlroy, who will play alongside Scheffler for the first two rounds, agreed with that assessment. 'It's a big golf course,' McIlroy said. 'You've got to drive it well, and even then, there's a lot of sort of mid to long irons out there.' In other words, there won't be a Bob Hope Classic-like birdie barrage at the second leg of the FedEx Cup this time around at Caves Valley.
