Rickie Fowler will win a major, claims Phil

• Phil Mickelson says Rickie Fowler winning a major is ‘inevitable’
• Speaking from experience, Mickelson says he must be patient
• The 45-year-old was 34 before he won his first – the 2004 Masters

Phil Mickelson believes that it’s ‘inevitable’ that Rickie Fowler will win a major championship – but insisted that, like him, he must be patient.

The American’s first major triumph didn’t come until the 2004 Masters, when he was 34, and he has since gone on to win four more of the biggest titles in the game, so certainly knows all about the agonising wait.

“It was difficult to be patient,” said Mickelson. “I was 34 when I won my first major and I had had multiple opportunities for over a decade, so it tends to wear on you after a while.

CONTINUES BELOW…

“But I always believed and knew that I would end up winning a major. In fact, I knew I would win multiple. So it was never a hurdle. I think that the Players last year was a big stepping stone. That’s a world-class tournament, and it’s just a minor step below a major. I feel that the way he drives the golf ball and the way he’s striking it now, it’s inevitable .

Fowler has gone on to win three times since the Players – the Scottish Open, Deutsche Bank Championship and Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship – and credits the influence of Mickelson on his game over the years.

“Phil’s probably been the biggest help, the most influential to me, and someone that I’ve always looked up to,” said Fowler. “Now to be able to call him a close friend and be able to spend the amount of time that I get to with him, yeah, he’s been a great person that I’ve been able to look up to and a role model.

Follow @BunkeredOnline

Rickie Fowler :: A major in 2016?

Do you think Rickie Fowler will win a major championship in 2016? Leave your thoughts in the ‘Comments’ section below.