The clock is ticking for Rickie Fowler, and his path to the Masters just got significantly harder. The American sits at 80th in the Official World Golf Ranking with an April deadline looming to crack the top 50. Yet he faces a brutal 158-day tournament drought before his next scheduled start at The American Express, running January 19-25, 2026. That’s over five months without competitive golf following his T7 finish at the BMW Championship in August.

The news broke via the Rickie Fowler Tracker account on X. “Rickie did not receive an exemption into the Hero World Challenge,” the post revealed. Moreover, he’s absent from the field at the Grant Thornton Invitational. His Grant Thornton sponsorship ended in 2025 after six years. Consequently, he lost automatic entry to that mixed pro-am event where Lexi Thompson now pairs with Wyndham Clark.

The Hero World Challenge exclusion stings harder. Tiger Woods hosts this elite 20-player event in the Bahamas, running December 4-7. The field, announced October 7, features Scottie Scheffler as the headliner. Woods and Fowler share a mentorship relationship spanning years. They’ve played together as Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup teammates. Yet somehow, Jordan Spieth secured an invitation while Fowler did not.

Spieth currently ranks in the top 20 OWGR with multiple top-10 finishes in 2025. Just weeks earlier, speculation suggested Fowler would feature in both December events. The irony cuts deeper.

Fowler won this tournament back in 2017. He fired a course record 61 in the final round. He birdied his first seven holes that day. He finished at 18-under, beating Charley Hoffman by four strokes. That performance came during Tiger’s comeback week. Now, eight years later, Woods left him out entirely.

Fowler’s 2025 campaign showed improvement from his disastrous 2024. He finished 32nd in the FedEx Cup standings after ending 2024 at 101st. He secured three PGA Tour top-10 finishes across 21 events. These included a T6 at the FedEx St. Jude Championship and a T7 at the Memorial Tournament. However, he failed to capture a victory. He missed the cut at the PGA Championship. He didn’t qualify for the Masters or U.S. Open. He finished T14 at The Open Championship at Royal Portrush.

The situation worsens. The Sentry 2026 was canceled due to drought and agronomic issues at Kapalua. This eliminates another early-season opportunity to earn crucial OWGR points. Fowler now faces immense pressure at The American Express. He must deliver strong results immediately to have any shot at Augusta National.

Rickie Fowler Fans Express Mixed Emotions

The golf community responded swiftly. One fan noted, “Tiger is weird with Rickie sometimes.” The comment pointed to Woods’ history of including Fowler in previous Hero fields despite their mentorship bond, making this year’s exclusion particularly confusing given Fowler’s 2017 tournament victory.

Another expressed concern about momentum loss: “Not sure I’m gonna like rust after how he was trending.” The worry stems from Fowler’s upward trajectory in 2025, when he climbed from 125th to 80th in the OWGR and finished 32nd in the FedExCup standings after being outside the top 100 the previous year.

A third fan captured the anxiety of the Masters qualification perfectly. “Massive bummer to not get OWGR points from The Sentry,” the comment read. “Clock will be ticking come January to rack up some good results and get to Augusta. I have a good feeling about next year.” With The Sentry canceled and Fowler sitting 30 spots outside the top-50 Masters cutoff, every missed opportunity to earn ranking points compounds the pressure.

Some fans questioned Fowler’s entire schedule choices. “Dude should play in one of these fall events,” one commenter suggested. The criticism targets Fowler’s decision to sit out all seven PGA Tour Fall Series tournaments, which offer crucial OWGR points and competitive reps heading into 2026.

The comparison to Spieth drew particular ire. “And yet Spieth gets an invite…” one fan wrote. Spieth’s inclusion despite similar career struggles highlights what many see as preferential treatment, especially since Spieth ranks in the top 20 OWGR while Fowler sits at 80th.

Another expressed broader concern: “Not good for the golf game!! But I hope to see him play again.” The sentiment reflects frustration over losing one of golf’s most popular figures from high-profile events during a critical stretch of the season.

The 158-day gap represents a gamble. It offers recovery time after 21 grueling events. Yet it risks erasing the positive momentum he built. His early 2026 performances will determine whether this extended break pays off.