LAS VEGAS – Rickie Fowler celebrated his two-year wedding anniversary with his wife, Allison, on Tuesday night.
The two are expecting their first child – a girl – November 30.
And he’s concentrating on delivering a rebirth to a career that’s gone wayward.
In other words, Fowler has a lot on his mind.
After a six-week mini-fast in which he lost 5 pounds of body fat by cutting down carbs and fruit, eating healthy and working out, all the while laboring hard on his game and attending to his wife’s wants and needs, Fowler will make his first start of the season Thursday in the Shriners Children’s Open at TPC Summerlin.
He’ll do so coming off his two worst seasons since he turned pro more than a decade ago. Last season, Fowler, 32, whose most recent of nine worldwide victories came in the 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open, had just one top-10 in 18 starts and didn’t make the FedEx Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2009. He has dropped to 125th in the official world rankings, his worst ranking since 2009. In the past two campaigns, he’s amassed only eight top-10s in 56 starts while missing 18 cuts.
“Life comes at you fast at times and you deal with it best you can,” Fowler said Tuesday at TPC Summerlin.
Rickie Fowler reacts to a missed putt on the 9th hole during the first round of the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports)
The most important change to deal with is impending fatherhood. Fowler said all is well on the Allison and baby fronts and they are both counting down the days.
“She’s great. Everything’s gone very well. It’s a lot easier on my end, obviously. She’s pregnant and has to put up with me,” Fowler said. “I’ve heard from a lot of people that when the baby is born is when the light bulb goes off. Allison is leading the charge, as far as getting everything ordered and what not, and I’m trying to play a good supporting role.
“I help her out any way I can. There are plenty of people out there that try and give you their opinion on what to do and what not to do, but at the end of the day, we’re the two on site and we’ll work together and move forward.
“The thing that makes me feel a little more comfortable, because this is something new, I feel we can do it. And we both come from great families and that has trickled down. But it’s going to be a big change.”
As was his offseason plan. Fowler last played in August in the Wyndham Championship. After a week off, Fowler commenced on a two-prong attack to improve his physical state and the shape of his game. He wasn’t wiping the slate clean; instead he was following a new template.
For six weeks, he attacked workouts, his practice, and a change in his diet.
And he stuck to it.
Carbs and fruit were both a no-no during the week.
“And I love fruit,” he said.
Instead, he finished off plates featuring high protein, high fat and a lot of greens. On the weekend, he’d opt for leaner protein and less fats. His cheat day was Sunday when he had a little ice cream, some popcorn.
He also had a lot of tea at night, which helped him stay away from snacking.
“I was finally able to have a few drinks over the weekend, but I didn’t have too many, because going six weeks eating clean, I didn’t want to push it,” Fowler said. “It wasn’t the most fun. But it was a good stretch and it was about holding myself accountable, with Allison helping out on the nutrition side, and my trainer looking over the physical aspect.
“It was a good way to clean out. I’m fresh and ready to go.”
And he remains steadfast in sticking with the swing changes he started working on two years ago. Despite always being optimistic, the slump has challenged him on and off the golf course. But he is confident a return to good days are ahead.
Looking forward to @zozochamp…see you soon in Japan
pic.twitter.com/ItqLcEPweM
— Rickie Fowler (@RickieFowler) September 29, 2021
“We’re in a good spot. It’s not fun having big chunks of time of when it’s not your choice. Looking forward to changing that,” said Fowler, who is playing this week and then will play consecutive weeks on sponsor’s exemptions in the CJ Cup just down the road from TPC Summerlin and the Zozo Championship in Japan. “What we have been working on swing side, equipment side, everyone is on the same page. That last two years, it’s not where I’ve wanted to be out here.
“So I’ll scratch that and move forward.”