Rickie Fowler will be on the outside looking in at the FedEx Cup playoffs for the first time in his 12-year professional career.
At the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, N.C., the PGA Tour’s regular season finale, Fowler shot a 2-over 72 in his second round Friday morning to drop to 3 over and was destined to miss the cut by several strokes.
A fan favorite, Fowler has been mired in a slump and entered the week No. 130 in the FedEx Cup points standings. He needed a strong performance at Sedgefield Country Club to get inside the top 125 and qualify for the playoffs, which begin next week at the Northern Trust in Jersey City, N.J.
“Yeah, it sucks,” Fowler said. “I mean, I know what I’m capable of, I’ve been up there and played against the best in the world and been a top-5, top-10 player in the world for a number of years in my career. I’m not in a position where I’m comfortable or where I want to be.
“Like I said, with the season ending now for me, it’s kind of just added motivation. ‘Hey, let’s figure out what we need to go do and let’s go do it.'”
Fowler made two birdies and four bogeys Friday, including a string of three straight holes in which he did not reach the green in regulation and then two-putted.
“Yeah, it’s a bummer and I don’t want to be in this position,” Fowler said. “Never been here. I’m used to being in contention, ready to go to East Lake (for the Tour Championship) and go have some fun through the playoffs. That’s not the case this year. A little kick in the butt. Go home and get ready to go.”
Fowler is not at risk of losing his PGA Tour card because his victory at the 2015 Players Championship earned him a five-year exemption, with additional years added on for every subsequent win.
But he hasn’t won a tournament since February 2019. Fowler’s best finish this season was a tie for eighth at the PGA Championship, a major he only qualified for due to a special exemption. The Wyndham Championship will be his ninth missed cut in 24 starts.
–Field Level Media