‘Owning It or Accepting’: Despite Being Denied Victory for 4 Years, Rickie Fowler Opens Up About His Strong Mindest During Mental Health Awareness Month

Rickie Fowler has won the hearts of fans all over the world with his colorful wardrobe, boyish charm, and amazing talent on the golf course. The golf pro has established himself as one of the best players of his generation by winning many tournaments on the PGA Tour, including the highly regarded Players Championship. Moreover, he has built a huge, devoted fan base for himself through his bigheartedness. But not all has been jolly or the golf pro in his career!

Recently, in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, Fowler joined other pros in opening up about his issues with mental health. And through his bold and heart touching words, he has once again attracted attention!

The Unspoken War: Sports and Mental Health

As of September 2022, Fowler’s ranking was 185th in the world. It was the lowest position he had ever held in his career. Since then, he has been making his way back up the ladder of importance step by step. He was outside of the top 100 for a whole year. But he broke back in with a tie for 11th place at the Farmers Insurance Open in January of this year.

The PGA Tour star remarked in an interview posted on the Tour’s Instagram, “I think the biggest thing is you think you have to be like strong by not saying anything or not showing it.”

“It’s like kind of owning it or accepting or like talking and letting it out, that’s ultimately kind of being strong and showing that you’re human.”

His most recent win came nearly four years ago at the 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open. Rickie Fowler’s recent fall is a more complex story. It sheds light on the difficulties players experience with their mental health.

Read More: Rickie Fowler Creates a Unique Piece of History on the PGA Tour

Like in other sports, the pressure to perform in golf, too, can harm one’s mental health. And Fowler’s struggles shed light on exactly his issue. Open dialogue and support are needed. Prioritizing mental well-being is a sign of strength. Help is available for athletes. Even the most talented athletes might experience mental health issues due to the hard schedule, intense competition, and continual scrutiny.

Rickie Fowler Talks About Self-Care and Support

The struggle Rickie Fowler went through to recover from his performance slump serves as a reminder of the value of self-care and social support in sustaining mental wellness. Like everyone else, athletes too must prioritize their mental health. They can implement techniques like mindfulness, counseling, and asking for help from family, friends, and specialists. And Fowler believes that talking about it helps!

Fowler said, “Sometimes that helps at least with progress in moving forward, just letting it out and not trying to fight it.”

His words certainly serve as an example for others to promote an environment of open communication and support.

What’s your opinion of Rickie Fowler’s unspoken war? Let us know in the comments below.

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