FOWLER NEEDS HIS FIX OF ADRENALINE

HITCHING a ride in a stunt plane, racing dirt bikes, cliff diving… pretty much any kind of extreme sport is guaranteed to get the heart thumping. Even if Rickie Fowler insists he’s ‘toned down’ his off-course antics, he makes no apology for still seeking out a regular fix of adrenaline. But lifting the Claret Jug at Royal Birkdale next week? Oh yeah. That would keep him juiced to the eyeballs for the foreseeable future. The 28-year-old with the high-tempo hobbies said: ‘This is my eighth year out on Tour and probably I’m not as crazy as I was when I was 15. But I still and always will be an adrenaline junkie, growing up in the action sports world and riding racing dirt bikes. Being able to get away and at least get that fix is something I’m always going to do.’ The only concession made by Fowler in recent years has been a little increased focus on safety; he’s not going to do anything that could result in a serious injury as a result of one little mistake. Admitting that he gets exactly the same rush from pulling off a great golf shot as he once enjoyed while throwing himself head first into the unknown, the Best Player Without A Major — now his unwanted title — isn’t consciously trying to shed the image of a playboy who perhaps enjoyed life more than his ‘day job.’ But he visibly bristled when reminded of criticism that he’d seemed too happy, too unbothered, by failing to capitalise on a challenging position at last month’s US Open. ‘Oh, yeah, inside I was p ***** off — but I’m not going to show that,’ he said. ‘My parents and the people around me growing up definitely didn’t want to see me showing any kind of anger.’