Rickie Fowler reveals reason for ‘terrible’ form that has been impacting him ‘for years’

Rickie Fowler is back in Detroit this week to defend his Rocket Mortgage Classic title, having won the event last July. This victory marked his first PGA Tour title in over four years, sparking hopes of a return to form for the American golfer. However, the past year has seen Fowler grapple with significant challenges, particularly with his putting.

Fowler, now 35, has candidly discussed his struggles on the greens, attributing his inconsistent performance to issues with his putting stroke. He described experiencing a slight “twitch” in his right hand during his putts, a condition he likened to the ‘yips’. In an interview with the Golf Channel at this year’s Rocket Mortgage Classic, Fowler explained, “Over the last few years, I’ve dealt with a little bit of my right hand having a slight twitch at times, which you could call some sort of a ‘yip.’ When people have dealt with that, it makes it tough to trust hitting good putts.”

He went on to discuss his strategy to counteract these issues, saying, “I was hitting a lot of putts that would start on line, but it was more of a speed thing. Going back to cross-handed felt like it locks my right hand and wrist a little bit more, allowing me to use that purely for touch and feel.”

This is not the first time Fowler has provided an honest assessment of his form. Following a missed cut at this month’s U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2, Fowler described his play as “terrible” and admitted, “I’ve basically played terrible this year; that’s a pretty simple and easy way to sum it up.” Despite his struggles, Fowler remained committed to putting in the work, expressing a need for patience as he waits for progress to translate into better results.

Since his disappointing performance at Pinehurst, Fowler has shown signs of improvement, securing his best finish of the season with a tie for 20th place at last week’s Travelers Championship. His opening round at Detroit Golf Club on Thursday was promising, as he shot a bogey-free six-under-par 66, demonstrating why he is the tournament’s defending champion. However, his momentum stalled on Friday, where he followed up with a level-par 72, leaving him six-under for the week and seven shots behind co-leaders Aaron Rai and Akshay Bhatia heading into the weekend.

Fowler remains determined to build on his recent progress and aims to maintain his form as he defends his title in Detroit.