‘It’s Rowdy. It’s Loud’: Rickie Fowler Reveals His Favorite Golf Tournament to Play In

It has been more than a decade since Rickie Fowler became a professional golfer. As a golfer, he has attended more than a couple of hundred tournaments worldwide. Yet, the 33-year-old has no doubt when it comes to naming his favorite event to play in. And it is not a major event!

“My favorite is probably Phoenix Open,” Fowler didn’t waste any time answering when the interviewer asked him the question. The golfer shared his favorite event in the Full Send Podcast, where he appeared as a guest recently. 

“I grew up in action sports,” the 5-time PGA Tour winner explained why he chose the Phoenix Open as his favorite. “I grew up riding racing dirt bikes,” he further added. “So, it’s a little bit more, especially 16, it’s like the stadium atmosphere.” 

Fowler explained that he finds the event special mostly because of the fans. According to him, hundreds and thousands of fans attend the event on Friday and Saturday, and the intensity reminds him of his old days of racing. “There’s a lot going on,” he added. “It’s rowdy. It’s loud,” Fowler stated. 

The Phoenix Open hosted by the TPC Scottsdale is considered the people’s open because of the fan attendance of the event. The stands at the 16th hole can accommodate 200,000 people, and thus the hole is one of the loudest and most interesting holes on the Tour.

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Notably, Fowler used to be a dirt bike racer when he was young until an accident ruined his career. Since he has a racing background, Fowler is comfortable with loud fans. Hence, according to him, Phoenix Open is his favorite event. 

Rickie Fowler has a special connection with the Phoenix Open

Fowler attended his first Phoenix Open in 2009 as a sponsor exemption. John Felix, the then tournament chairman chose him as one of the five exemptions, even when others were against it. He was just a sophomore at Oklahoma University.

13 years later, Fowler has attended the event 14 times, in which he has won once, two runner-up finishes, and a total of six top 25 finishes. He couldn’t make the cut in the 2022 edition of the event. Moreover, he has won $3.2 million from the championship event. Notably, Fowler has attended the Phoenix Open the most throughout his career.

The loudness and intensity of the fans at the 16th Phoenix Open make it more appealing for Rickie Fowler. What do you like about the People’s Open?

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