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New man He wants to be as well known for his results as his clothes.
RICKIE FOWLER ’I feel like I’ve turned a page’ Labelled over-rated by his peers, Rickie Fowler’s 2015 proved his doubters wrong and now he can’t wait for next year WORDS JAMES HENDERSON PICTURES COBRA PUMA GOLF, GETTY ntil last year, it was all too easy to U dismiss Rickie Fowler as a likeable lad, helping the game appeal to youngsters but unlikely to ever cause much of a stir on the Sunday afternoon of a Major. He was the kid in orange, trailed by dozens of adolescent wannabes sporting identikit flatpeaked luminous Puma caps. The relaxed Californian looked like he’d be more at home on the white sands of a surfer’s beach than in the white sands of Augusta’s bunkers. Last year changed all that. Finishing in the top five of all four Majors – including secondplace finishes at The Open and US Open – showed he has what it takes to mix it with the big boys. “2014 was a big step in the right direction for me,” he told <strong>TG</strong>. “To feel as comfortable as I did under pressure in the Majors, it’s a good stepping stone going forward.” But still Fowler’s doubters were unconvinced; an anonymous survey of his fellow Tour pros at the start of this season saw him voted the most over-rated player, alongside European Ryder Cup icon Ian Poulter. But with two wins this year, including the Players Championship – golf’s unofficial ‘fifth Major’ and a FedEx Cup playoff event – Fowler can expect to receive less of the vote if the survey is ever repeated. “Success for this year was being in contention like I was last year, but of course I wanted to win,” he says. “Getting my first win of the year was the biggest thing for me. I just want to win, wherever it is. If it happens to be a Major, that’s a bonus.” The young Fowler was a natural athlete and says he would be working in the extreme sports industry if golf hadn’t been an option. “I’d be on a BMX bike, a mountain bike or a dirt bike,” he suggests. “Definitely something on wheels.” Largely self-taught on a driving range in Murrieta, California, a prodigy with Fowler’s talent was never likely to need a Plan B. In his final year of high school, Fowler won the SW League Final with scores of 64 and 69, before leading his team to the state final. “I started playing when I was three and ➔ TODAYSGOLFER.CO.UK ISSUE <strong>341</strong> 69
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Page 5 and 6: ‘Belief may be the be-all-and-end
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Page 11 and 12: R&D department faced significant ch
Page 13 and 14: New Gear Ecco Biom G2 £225 Waterpr
Page 15: REGIONAL GUIDE Devon deals in quali

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