Rickie Fowler’s Phoenix from the Flames moment could be the start of something his career deserves

There are many different ways in which to celebrate a victory. Some go for a standard fist pump, some toss their cap in the air, and some struggle to contain their emotion. For Rickie Fowler, though, this hit different.

The 34-year-old’s playoff victory over Collin Morikawa and Adam Hadwin at the Rocket Mortgage Classic was his first since he triumphed at the Phoenix Open some four and a half years ago. (Or – because for some reason in golf we prefer to break the timescale down even more – 1,610 days.)

And it was impossible not to get caught up in the emotional outpouring as his 12-foot birdie putt fell into the cup. The commentator could barely contain himself – “Rickie returns to the winners’ circle!” – while the crowd’s celebrations made it clear this was about as a popular a winner as you could imagine.

Yet Fowler was the calmest man in Michigan. As his ball disappeared, he looked up to the heavens and let out a huge sigh of relief. His hands crossed and rested on top of his putter, Fowler eked out every inch of his five-foot-nine frame and his chest visibly swelled as he released nearly half a decade of demons into the Detroit air.

You can watch the clip a hundred times and you’ll spot something new with each loop: the lady in tears behind the ropes, the way caddie Ricky Romano embraces his boss, Adam Hadwin applauding his opponent’s achievement, the fans dressed head to toe in Fowler’s favourite colour, the man who lifts his baby up in some sort of Lion King tribute as the crowd’s chant their latest champion’s name, Fowler’s mock “go get that” moment.

So much to enjoy about this video — Fowler’s reaction, Hadwin’s reaction, grown men in full orange, dude flinging his baby in the air…

Golf loves you, Rickie ❤️

pic.twitter.com/4GSSiLCRQU

— Alex Perry (@byAlexPerry) July 2, 2023

After more hugs – this time with his beaten opponents then wife Alisson and daughter Maya, who wasn’t born the last time Fowler won – there was the TV interview. We all knew the question coming, but we were hanging on every word of his answer.

After the golfer’s stock response of how they’ve been “playing some really good golf” and they “knew it was just a matter of time”, the realisation seemed to catch up with him.

“It’s really hard to put it all into words,” he said, his voice breaking slightly.

“I’ve had a couple of tough weekends where I’ve had a chance – US Open, I didn’t get it done…”

Then he looked at Maya and smiled. “At the end of the day, I get to hold her and hang with my wife. Winning’s great, but there’s a lot more to life than that.”

“It’s hard to put it into words.”@RickieFowler was emotional after his victory @RocketClassic. pic.twitter.com/aFlFUFAN2D

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 2, 2023

There aren’t many golfers who resonate with his peers and the public the way Fowler does. You only need to spend a few moments on social media to understand just how well-liked he is, both as a golfer and as a human, as tales of his generosity spill from all corners of the sport’s landscape.

And it’s one thing to know it’s coming, it’s an entirely different thing getting the job done – especially with so much on the line.

The last few years have been incredible low for Fowler – literally, in case of the world rankings. In 2022, he qualified for just one of the four majors and barely retained his playing rights when he finished 125th in the FedEx Cup standings to take the very last PGA Tour card – an inexplicable turn of events for someone with nine wins to his name, a major CV that has everything but a win on it, and almost $50 million banked from prize money alone.

There was criticism, of course. Why did he leave a coach that had seen him rise to the upper echelons of the game? Was he doing too much commercial work? It’s easy to suggest that if Fowler – or, indeed, any athlete – wants to get paid the big bucks by these corporations then he has to put in the time they demand. But at what cost? Fowler, at one point, revealed that he was committing to “25 to 30 days a year” with sponsors. You’ve already done the maths, I’m sure.

So he did what all golfers do when they’re in a rut: he sacked his long-term caddie Joe Skovron, as well as swing coach John Tillery, and returned to the safe hands of Butch Harmon. His form, as a result, improved drastically, with eight top-10s in 20 tournaments so far this season – including that near miss at LACC and this sixth career PGA Tour victory.

And where better for Fowler to head next than to the Genesis Scottish Open – a tournament he won in 2015 – followed by The Open at Royal Liverpool where, last time out in Hoylake, he missed out by two shots to Rory McIlroy.

Family-man Fowler will say he has more important things to worry about now than silverware, but if his career ends without a major championship he – and we – will consider that a huge missed opportunity.

The American is immensely popular on this side of the Atlantic, and would be most welcome recipient of the coveted Claret Jug. There wouldn’t be a dry eye on the Wirral.

Just be nice to us at the Ryder Cup, please…

• What’s in Rickie Fowler’s Rocket Mortgage Classic-winning bag?

Alex Perry is the Associate Editor of bunkered. A journalist for more than 20 years, he has been a golf industry stalwart for the majority of his career and, in a five-year spell at ESPN, covered every sporting event you can think of. He completed his own Grand Slam at the 2023 Masters, having fallen in love with the sport at his hometown club of Okehampton and on the links of nearby Bude & North Cornwall.

Associate Editor