Imago
PGA, Golf Herren The American Express – First Round Jan 19, 2023 La Quinta, California, USA Rickie Fowler looks on during the first round of The American Express golf tournament at La Quinta Country Club. La Quinta La Quinta Country Club California USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xOrlandoxRamirezx 20230119_ojr_rb5_092
Imago
PGA, Golf Herren The American Express – First Round Jan 19, 2023 La Quinta, California, USA Rickie Fowler looks on during the first round of The American Express golf tournament at La Quinta Country Club. La Quinta La Quinta Country Club California USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xOrlandoxRamirezx 20230119_ojr_rb5_092
While some athletes rest to heal, and others push through discomfort, Rickie Fowler‘s year-long reliance on pain meds reveals a battle far beyond typical wear and tear. He finally opened up about his silent battle with shoulder bursitis, and the details are rough.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
“I was dealing with some bursitis and fluid and had some inflammation there. Basically hurt all last year. Was on pain meds all year. Did some PRP injections in September, so I had six weeks where I really didn’t touch a club,” Fowler shared with the media on Friday at the WM Phoenix Open. “So that the main emphasis is just getting to a spot where I do not have to take Advil or other things to take the edge off.”
2025 wasn’t a winning year for Fowler, but he did post some impressive finishes, such as T7 at the Memorial and T6 and T7 at the FedEx St. Jude and BMW Championships. These finishes helped him finish 32nd in the FedEx Cup rankings and not worry about the fall events to secure his Tour card. Fowler failed to proceed to the Tour Championship and used his offseason to heal. Notably, despite his shoulder troubling him, he qualified for the FedExCup Playoffs for the 14th time.
Imago
PGA, Golf Herren Children s Miracle Network Classic NOV 14 November 14, 2010: Ricky Fowler eyes his ball from the par 3 third tee of the Magnolia Course during final round golf action from The Children s Miracle Network Classic held at The Disney Golf Resort in Lake Buena Vista, FLCredit Image: Ã Romeo Guzman/Cal Media Lake Buena Vista FL U.S. EDITORIAL USE ONLY Copyright: xx ZUMA-20101114_zaf_cg2_011.jpg RomeoxGuzmanx csmphoto385616
This injury was the reason he did not work on anything specific in his off time. The main focus was to rest, rehab, and ensure the body was good to go. His effort has been fruitful so far, as he posted an impressive round of 63 at the American Express on Friday and finished in 18th position. Then, at the WM Phoenix Open, he is putting in a decent performance, too.
Top Stories
His resilience was on display in the second round, where he fired a 68 by carding five birdies, a sign that his shoulder could once again handle the rigors of a competitive weekend. The highlight came on the par-4 9th hole, where he stuck a 164-yard approach shot to just 13 feet, setting up a crucial birdie to close out his front nine at 3-under (33).
2025 wasn’t Rickie Fowler’s first dance with injury.
In 2018, he had to drop out of the Northern Trust, the first playoff event, because he had a partial tear in his right oblique. He played through that injury at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and the PGA Championship, where he was in the running for a while before finishing T12. The oblique injury kept him out of the first two playoff games, but he was able to come back for the BMW Championship and the Ryder Cup. Does this sound familiar? Fowler has a habit of pushing through pain, even when it hurts him.
But the problem with the shoulder is different. Resting will help your obliques heal. Bursitis can be hard to get rid of, especially if you do thousands of fast, repetitive rotations. Rickie Fowler took painkillers for a whole year, which shows how bad this problem was. PRP therapy is now the first choice for golfers with soft tissue injuries, and it helped Fowler get back on track.
Fowler’s focus now that his shoulder is healthy and he no longer has to manage daily pain is to get back to competing at the highest level.
He has a special connection to the WM Phoenix Open because he won it in 2019 and came in second twice (2010 & 2016) at TPC Scottsdale. But his results at this event have been poor in recent years. In his last five appearances, he missed three cuts and withdrew from one.
How Rickie Fowler is quietly changing his game
Rickie Fowler’s change hasn’t meant reinventing his swing overnight. It means paying more attention to what his body can do. He’s learning that sometimes you have to take a step back before you can move forward after years of dealing with pain.
His practice sessions now involve less volume and more intent. Rickie Fowler has said that he values quality over quantity and picks sessions that sharpen his feel instead of wearing him out. It’s a small change, but it fits with where he is in his career.
He has also changed his equipment ahead of the PGA Tour this season. The 37-year-old has adopted Cobra’s new OPTM X driver and 3DP MB irons, swapped to a UST LIN-Q shaft, and returned to a Scotty Cameron putter.
There’s also a mindset change at play. Fowler isn’t looking for quick fixes anymore. He cares about sustainability, which means playing well without hurting his health. That patience, which was hard for a competitor who was wired to push, now seems necessary.
It’s a lesson that’s also easy for both athletes and regular people to relate to: ignoring pain only slows down progress. Fowler’s change isn’t loud or dramatic. It’s useful. And sometimes that’s the kind of change that sticks around the longest.