As New Year’s resolutions go, Rickie Fowler does not have to make too big a jump to make his dreams come true. The American was the nearly man in 2014, watching from close range as pal Rory McIlroy swept to the world No1 spot with victories at The Open and PGA Championship.
The California-native came so close to breaking his major duck, finishing runner-up on home soil at the US Open and The Open with third-place secured at the PGA and rounding up the majors with another top-five at the beginning of the year at the Masters.
A new season provides a fresh start and first experience of the Middle East. Fowler will make his regional debut at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship next week.
Sport360° caught up with the 26-year-old to discuss his breakthrough year, his major ambitions for 2015, and his budding rivalry with good friend McIlroy.
After the exceptionally strong season you had in 2014, how disappointed would you be if you did not go one step further and win a major in 2015? What are your aims for the new season?
Contending in all four majors last year was really exciting and something that I will definitely be aiming to do in 2015. I have been working hard over the winter to go one step further in 2015 and hopefully, get my hands on some major silverware. This year’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship will be my debut in the event and I will certainly be aiming to claim my first European Tour victory at what is one of the most competitive events on the Tour’s schedule.
Obviously, you don’t like playing the Sony Open and you haven’t qualified for the Tournament of Champions this year. There are many players on the PGA Tour who do not want to come out at the start of the season and straightaway face windy conditions like you get in Hawaii. So, what’s the reason you skip Hawaii and do you see yourself starting your season more often in Abu Dhabi in the future?
I wouldn’t say I don’t like those events, but I am young and am looking to play around the world to become a complete player. I look at my schedule every year and try to work out what suits me and which events I can viably play in so that I have enough time to practise properly and enjoy my time on the Tour. I have heard a lot about this event from the likes of Phil Mickelson and Rory so I thought I would come and check it out for myself.
Given the number of events you are playing on this side of the Atlantic – the Irish Open is a new addition for you apart from Abu Dhabi – is there any temptation to picking up a European Tour membership and have a crack at the Race to Dubai?
I wouldn’t rule out the idea of me doing that in the future but at this moment in time I think I have enough events on the PGA Tour to keep me busy, especially when you include the four Majors and WGCs on my schedule. I played the Scottish Open last year and in Sweden a few years ago so now with the Irish Open and Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship in 2015 I am definitely beginning to become more of a world player and this is something I will continue to try and factor into my schedule.
Obviously, you did so many good things in 2014, but is there anything else that you’d like to change for 2015, apart from starting in Abu Dhabi?
My main aim is to win a Major championship in 2015 but I would also like to start winning more regularly on the PGA Tour. I have finished second or third on quite a few occasions now and I want to start converting those in to a few more victories. Starting my season at a destination like Abu Dhabi and at a championship with such a strong field gives me a chance to see where my game is against some of the best players in the world.
How do you explain a year like 2014? Such consistency is very rare to see. You started working with Butch Harmon, but is there something that you can pinpoint that started, and sustained, this remarkable run?
I think it is a combination of good preparation and timing. I started working with Butch to try and make my swing a bit more consistent and we changed a few things that stopped me hitting the odd loose shot. I did a lot of hard work on the range during the Christmas break in 2013 and by the time the Majors came around in the summer of 2014 I felt comfortable with the changes and was able to commit to every swing I made, even when I was under pressure.
When you are about to play a golf course for the first time, like you will in Abu Dhabi, do you like to do some early research before you come here?
I have never played in the Middle East so I am not completely sure of what to expect but I will be there a few days before the tournament so me and my caddy can check out the course and familiarise myself with it. From what I have heard from some of the American guys that have come out there, I can see how it will be similar to the US in terms of quick greens and thick rough off the fairway so hopefully it won’t take too much adjusting for me.
Toasting a MAJOR year and the potential of 2015 with a personalized @JohnnieWalkerUS #BlueLabel #KeepWalking pic.twitter.com/6TfLHYPJYL
— Rickie Fowler (@RickieFowlerPGA) December 27, 2014
Golf has always looked for rivalries in the game, and it looks like the one developing between you and McIlroy is getting a lot of people excited. Your thoughts on this?
Rory and I are good buddies and we’ve always had a great camaraderie. The year that Rory put together in 2014 was really impressive and he was certainly the best player in the world and just got the better of me on a few occasions. I definitely respect him as a player and I feel like he respects me as well so I’m looking forward to getting some wins of my own and see if I can chase him down a bit. We have 20, 25 years to go back and forth against each other and I am really excited at the thought of being part of some of those battles in the future.
