Tiger Woods’ Ex-Coach Issues a Forbidding Rickie Fowler Message as the Ryder Cup Battle Inches Closer: ‘He Is Ready’

There are certain families, even to this day, where generations of members pursue the same profession. It’s quite rare to see such families, but they do exist. There is one such family that has been into golf instruction for three generations now. 

Recently, a member of this family took Ryder Cup player Rickie Fowler with him to test how ready the patriot is for entering the battlefield at Marco Simone. It sounded like a challenging ordeal from how the coach, who once even trained the golf legend Woods himself, described it. And for the golf world to enjoy, he even proudly captured the memory with the 6-time PGA Tour winner in a picture!

Rickie Fowler gets a nod from the man he trusts

Claude Harmon Sr. was a golfer and golf instructor. His sons, Claude ‘Butch’ Harmon Jr., and his siblings also chose golf instruction as their profession. Well, we are not done yet. Butch’s son, Claude Harmon III, is also a golf coach. Butch Harmon has trained legends like Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson.

The coach recently teed off with Fowler and soon after took to Instagram to talk about it. In the post, Butch described how their outing had been, and it certainly was a handful. The legendary coach mentioned how they found a new game for the PGA Tour star to play, which involved him playing from the “forward tees” and hitting his driver “everywhere.“

To make their session even harder, Fowler had “no site lines and had to go over trees and not know where he was going on some holes.” So how did the golf pro fare at this new game? Well, to quote Butch, “He is ready for the Ryder cup. WOW!” The PGA Tour star has shot a bogey-free 18 and scored 14 birdies, making par on the rest of the holes!

The conditions made for the game that Fowler played may not sound like a big deal on the surface, but it’s not that simple. These modifications can get on the player’s nerves if they are not prepared for them. The reduced teeing off distance could compensate a bit for that, but not nearly enough! Let’s see how these adjustments could make the game difficult for a golfer!

Read more: Days Ahead of 2023 Ryder Cup, Brooks Koepka Ditches a Profound Conception to Make a Bold Lifestyle Change

The four frustrating factors of Fowler’s game

To start off, let’s go with the drivers. Typically, golfers use different clubs for different shots. This is to capitalize on the differences in weight, length, and design to achieve the desired effect on the ball. Using the drivers for all shots could cause a lack of precision, potential overpowering, and reduced control, among other side effects.

The next challenge is again baffling. Not having sight lines, such as a bunker or a water hazard, could make it harder to zero down and aim the ball. Having a point of reference makes it easier to shoot the ball.

To further push the boundaries, Fowler had to shoot over the trees, which is something golfers usually try to avoid. The chances of the ball slowing down and striking the tree are pretty high. And finally, not knowing where the ball is going to go means a lack of understanding about the layout of the course. This removes the possibility of planning the shots well.

Well, going by the coach’s post, it looks like Rickie Fowler emerged victorious from the test. Hopefully, he can put that practice to work on the greens at Marco Simone when the time comes too!

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