“It feels far away, much farther away than it did in 2014 when he had the four straight top five finishes in major championships. Of late he has one top five finish you mentioned at the Los Angeles Country Club in his last 20 major championship starts,” said Damon Hack, not mincing his words about Rickie Fowler. The American golfer has been on a downward trend for some time on the course, with just one PGA Tour win in the last six years.

Those numbers do not meet the high standards Fowler had when he came in as a rookie. The 2010 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year was one of the most daunting presences on the course just a mere few years ago. Now it does feel far away. Fowler now stands at the precipice of one of the most crucial junctures in his golfing career. And it is this stage, he took a call regarding one of the upcoming tournaments that could legit affect his participation at Augusta this year.

Rickie Fowler makes a bizarre decision

Fowler has surprisingly decided that he is not going to play in the Valspar Championship, scheduled from March 20–23. Now, as a standalone decision, this is understandable. Across his illustrious career on the PGA Tour that spans nearly 16 years, Fowler has played the Valspar Championship only once, in 2010.

Back then, it was called the Transitions Championship. He finished a forgettable T46 with a score of 1 above par. Not his best performance then. Since then, Fowler has not featured in a single edition of the competition, opting to sit out the event in Palm Harbor, Florida, and instead opting for the Valero Texas Open or the Houston Open to participate in.

However, there is an entirely different reason why this announcement is surprising at this point in time. Fowler, as of now, has not qualified to play the Masters Tournament in Georgia. The Augusta National Golf Club is where he registered his best-ever finish at a major, 2nd place in 2018. To qualify for the major, he has a stern to-do list.

Fowler has to win any of the coming tournaments starting from the PLAYERS Championship till the Augusta National event. These include three tournaments—the Valero Texas Open, which he is slated to play; the Texas Children’s Houston Open, which he has not confirmed so far; and the Valspar Championship, which he will not take part in. Announcing his exit from the Valspar event diminishes his chances of qualifying for the upcoming major, making both the Texas-based events a must-win. He can also finish second in a loaded field at the ongoing PLAYERS Championship but adding the Valspar Championship seems like a no-brainer in this situation.

While Fowler’s thoughts behind the withdrawal are not public yet, it did not keep some fans from guessing the intentions behind the decision.

Fans question Rickie Fowler’s crucial decision

Making a decision that could sit you out of a major is a huge decision. Fowler’s decision conveys the idea that the Masters is not worth adding another tournament to an already tight schedule. That’s a huge call in the world of professional golf, as the majors are considered hallowed territory. It could also mean that Fowler is dealing with something on the personal front that he is not ready to make public yet. “Assuming all is well at home and he’s healthy, this is a horrendous decision. He needs to play, man. So sad to see someone so talented just wasting away,” one netizen professed the same thoughts.

One social media user proposed that Fowler must be in one of the two extremes. Either he is okay with missing the Masters and would rather focus on improving his game to where it was, or Fowler must have felt that he is good enough to close the deal during the PLAYERS, or at the very least, the Valero Texas Open. That speaks of supreme self-understanding or, on the other side of the spectrum, extreme self-confidence. It is a game of extremes. “Must have accepted he’s not getting to Augusta, or else he is confident of getting it done this week. Either way, shocking decision,” stated the fan.

One fan expressed hope that he would still increase his odds by winning the Texas Children’s Houston Open. Fowler has yet to confirm his participation in the same, but he has taken part in the competition several times before. His most recent appearance, however, was in 2018, a long 7 years ago. He finished T43 with a score of 8 under par then. “He’ll join Houston, I’m sure.”

“He’s getting solo first this Sunday anyways,” professed an even more optimistic fan. Fowler is poised well after two days of play at TPC Sawgrass, He is currently T16 with a score of 5 under par, 6 strokes off the lead. The only problem is that the field above and below him is loaded with talented players.

Another fan took a more honest approach. Kevin Kisner is taking part in the PLAYERS Championship this year. Not as a player, but as an analyst for NBC. Fowler could follow the same path as Kisner and slowly transition to a role behind the camera. “Maybe he’s resigned to joining Kisner in the booth?” questioned the fan. However, Fowler is still in his prime, and despite it being a season to forget based on his standards, it is still an above-average season for the California resident. He is far away from thinking about retirement or any such thing.

Do you think Rickie Fowler will come clutch in the PLAYERS or the Valero Texas Open to secure his seat at the upcoming Masters?