Slumping Fowler in battle to keep major streak alive
Rickie Fowler heads into this week's Arnold Palmer Invitational seeking a long-awaited return to form that would do wonders for his bid to extend a streak of 41 consecutive major appearances.
Fowler, who sits 65th in the world rankings and is without a top-10 finish since January 2020, can keep his major streak alive by winning a PGA Tour event ahead of the April 8-11 Masters or by getting back into the top 50. That could prove a daunting task, given that Fowler, a five-time winner on the PGA Tour who was once ranked fourth in the world, has missed the cut in 10 of his last 25 starts.
“Everyone that's played really at all, especially at some sort of a high level, completely understands that golf is up and down,” Fowler said on Tuesday at Bay Hill, outside of Orlando, Fla.
“You take advantage of the times where you're playing well and ride those out because you know that it's not always going to be that way. There are times where it's going to go down and you're going to have to fight through it.
“Unfortunately, this one's been a little longer than I would like it to have been, but, yeah, we're grinding through it.”
Fowler has competed at Bay Hill nine times. His best showing came in 2013 when he finished in a tie for third place.
He said it was frustrating not being able to execute the shots he visualizes, but was hopeful his recent 20th place showing at The Genesis Invitational — his best result of the season — is a sign that things are heading in the right direction.
“A lot of it, I would say, is more just on the mental side now, just getting back and playing as much as possible to just get the reps in,” said Fowler.