Despite Being Shown the Exit Door, Rickie Fowler Becomes the Bigger Person With Latest Gesture for Ex-Sponsor

At The Sentry this year, Rickie Fowler was not seen wearing his longtime sponsor’s logo. Yes, we are talking about Rocket Mortgage. The 35-year-old was hopeful that the Detroit-based company’s logo would be back on his apparel. “We have something in the works to move forward, but it hasn’t been finalized yet. I think there is a good chance we will have the logo and move forward with the partnership there,” he said. However, things didn’t work. 

Rickie Fowler ended a nearly decade-long partnership with the company. So, the golfer is not contractually obligated to play in the sixth edition of the Rocket Mortgage Classic. But he is still choosing to play, unlike what he did after he announced his split with his 12-year-long sponsor, Farmers Insurance, and chose to sit out the 2024 Farmers Insurance open.

The 35-year-old is returning to Detroit Golf Club to defend his title. There seems to be no bad blood between him and his ex-sponsor. Jason Langwell, the executive director of the Rocket Mortgage Classic, shared with The Detroit News, “We’re obviously excited to have Rickie back. He’s jacked to be back.”

Langwell also pointed out how the golfer’s connection with the sponsor has nothing to do with his play on the greens. “He’s pumped to be back, and obviously, he’s a needle-mover, regardless of his (title) defense and regardless of his association with us. He brings the orange out in anybody, and he’s gonna be doing that again this year.”

The golfer has had a deal with Rocket Mortgage since 2015. During their partnership, Rickie Fowler, as a brand ambassador, was seen in several hilarious TV commercials. In fact, at one point, he was known for his advertisements than his achievements on the course, especially after his performance was on the decline.

So it’s no surprise that Rickie Fowler chose to return, as he ended his four-year winless streak on the Detroit greens last year after defeating the likes of Collin Morikawa and Adam Hadwin in a three-way playoff. On his win, the six-time PGA Tour winner said, “I’m obviously going to soak this one in and celebrate a bit … it’s been a long road.” Although Morikawa lost the title, he could not help but appreciate the golfing prowess that the 35-year-old had shown on the course that day: “It’s not like this is a one-time thing, he’s been playing phenomenal golf.”

Rickie Fowler was seen celebrating his win with his wife Allison and his daughter Maya. Even though the long-awaited win meant a lot for the PGA Tour pro, he explained how there are more things to life than just golf. “At the end of the day, getting to hold her and hang with Maya and my wife … yeah, winning’s great but there’s a lot more to life than that.”

Speaking about family, even Langwell did not forget to point out how Rickie Fowler was also going to be a father for the second time. He pointed out in an amiable tone how the pro should try to “hoist his second Rocket Mortgage Classic trophy” before he welcomes his second baby girl. The tournament is scheduled for June 27–30, and Fowler’s baby girl is expected to arrive in August.

The golfer has played in all five previous editions of the tournament. This year, many golfers cut ties with their long-standing sponsors- Be it Jason Day and Tiger Woods leaving Nike or Phil Mickelson ending his 20-year-long partnership with Callaway. But what brought an end to the business deal that Rickie Fowler struck with Rocket Mortgage back in 2015?

Why did Rickie Fowler sever his ties with long-time sponsors?

When Rickie Fowler was not seen with any logos at the season opener, many people started getting concerned about whether he would leave the PGA Tour and join LIV Golf. He clarified, “I have zero plans to go anywhere.” Fowler shared that Farmers Insurance was reluctant to renew his contract: “My contract was up, and I was told they weren’t looking to renew or extend.” His contract with the brand ended because they wanted to “scale back.”

In an interview with ‘Golfweek’, Fowler said, “Time is valuable, and I don’t want to overextend myself. Ten years ago, single me, it was a lot easier to use that time for work-related stuff. Now, I want to make sure it’s worthwhile and with the right people. I don’t want to be a billboard or NASCAR driver type of thing, but I do want to have a good, core group of partners.” 

When it comes to Rocket Mortgage, Rickie Fowler and the company chose to pause their business liaison, with the opportunity of renewing it at some point in the future. However, there could be one more reason behind the player cutting off sponsors.

Rickie Fowler welcomed his first baby girl, Maya Fowler, on November 18, 2021, with his wife, Allison Stokke. He will now be becoming a dad for the second time, and family time sure holds a lot of value in his life. Hence, his cutting ties with sponsors makes sense because it leads to less commitment on and off the greens! Do you think Fowler will be able to defend his title at the 2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic?