PACIFIC PALISADES – Rickie Fowler, a former Murrieta native now living in Florida, participated in the Genesis Invitational this past weekend after much consideration. Fowler was last seen in Arizona where he hit a hole-in-one on the seventh hole at the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale Sunday, Feb. 12. It didn’t result in a beer shower like Sam Ryder’s ace last year, but Fowler definitely gave himself a moment to remember in Scottsdale. It was the second straight year someone made a hole-in-one at the tournament, and someone has gotten one in six of the last nine years.
Prior to that, we saw Rickie at the Farmers Insurance Open in January, where he finished in a tied 11th, shooting the final round at par and concluded the tournament with a total of 5-under, an 8-stroke difference from winner Max Homa.
The last few years for Rickie Fowler have been disappointing on the PGA Tour. He hasn’t won a title since 2019’s Waste Management Phoenix Open. However, he has begun his new season with some positives from last season. The 34-year-old Murrieta Valley Nighthawk alumnus brought back his former swing coach, Butch Harmon, and the improvements reflected in his game as well.
Over his last 11 rounds, Fowler has finished below par six times, while also carding eight rounds with a better-than-average score. He has carded a top-five score three times in his last 11 rounds.
The Genesis Invitational, which is one of the PGA Tour’s new “designated events” for 2023, drew a star-studded field to compete for a $20 million purse, and included the return of Tiger Woods. Nineteen of the world’s top 20 competed at the Riviera Country Club, and for the third time already this year, Jon Rahm prevailed, banking $3.6 million.
Fowler didn’t have the worst of weekends, nor did he have the best. He finished tied for twentieth place at 5-under with Sam Ryder, Justin Thomas, Viktor Hovland, Tony Finau, Cameron Young, Tommy Fleetwood, Nate Lashley and Peter Malnati. Each netted approx. $197,666.67.
“Now, it’s nice to be back on the road,” Rickie Fowler told the media last weekend about the new golf season.
Fowler’s next scheduled event is the Honda Classic at Palm Beach Country. The Florida event will start on Feb. 20, immediately after the Genesis Invitational. If things go as planned, he will be playing straight for the next three weeks. Next comes the Arnold Palmer Invitational, which is scheduled for the first week of March at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge in Florida.
At the time of this article going to print, Rickie had yet to commit to the API. The final event on the list is Players with a purse size of $25 million, the highest among all elevated PGA Tour events. It should also be noted that PGA Tour players are only allowed to skip one of these elevated tournaments, courtesy of the new rulings for the new season to have more top players competing in these events.
JP Raineri can be reached by email at sports@reedermedia.com.
