Rickie Fowler grabbed much attention when he was seen with none of his sponsor logos at the Sentry earlier this season. It rumored only one thing—nearly a decade-long partnership’s conclusion. The Rocket Mortgage did not reinstate its contract with its defending champion once it was terminated earlier this year. Months have passed, and it’s time for Detroit to tidy up its greens as the Rocket Mortgage Classic is around the corner. And by now, the event sponsor has made changes to its early decisions! But why? Let’s decipher their thoughts by digging in a little deeper.

Only about a month ago, the Chief Marketing Officer for Rocket Mortgage, Casey Hurbis, gave a statement. Around mid-May, it was announced that Fowler was back with a Rocket Mortgage sponsorship. In light of the partnership, Hubris was observed praising Fowler. According to the Detroit News, he said, “Rocket Mortgage is proud to continue its longstanding partnership with Rickie Fowler.”

The rest of his remarks can indicate the precise reason why they might want Fowler back as an ambassador. Hubris stated, “His extraordinary path to victory last year at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit stands as a testament to our shared dedication to upholding excellence.” Hubris was further reported to be rooting for Fowler’s victory yet again this year. Any other formal explanation of the revived partnership was not made public by either party.

However, Rickie Fowler‘s statements following his contract termination have been quite modest toward his then ex-sponsors. Back then, Jason Langwell, the executive director of the Rocket Mortgage Classic, had broken down his idea of an uptight Fowler who does not mix his sponsorships and performance on the greens.

After Fowler had confirmed that he would be playing at the event despite the termination of his sponsorship, Langwell commented, “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 going to be doing that again this year.”

Last year, Fowler won the tournament in the three-man playoff against Adam Hadwin and Collin Morikawa. He had hit a birdie on the last hole of regulation and continued the streak in the first round of the playoff. However, even after such a performance last year, why did the golf community fear Fowler’s transition to LIV Golf?

What set off the rumors about Fowler’s plans for LIV Golf?

About a decade ago, when Fowler first joined hands with his sponsors, he was a single man. Over time, the 35-year-old golfer took on the responsibilities of a family man and deliberately talked about them after his ties with the sponsors were severed. He is also expecting a second child in August with his wife Allison Stokke.

Fowler stated, “Time is valuable, and I don’t want to overextend myself. Ten years ago, single, 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.” 

Back in January, when Fowler was not seen with his logos and had shown his concern about a stable income for his family, many fancied believing that the golfer might be transitioning to LIV Golf. However, Fowler ruled it out by saying, “I have zero plans to go anywhere.” Then he explained that his partnership was over because the contract was up, and there was no other reason behind the omission of logos from his clothing.

Do you think Rickie Fowler will be able to defend his title this time? Let us know in the comments below.