Once ranked as high as World No. 4, Rickie Fowler has seen a serious downturn in his career. He’s now dropped to 105th in the OWGR. Since winning the Rocket Mortgage Classic in 2023, Fowler hasn’t claimed another title. His results this season have been far from consistent: he finished T68 at the RBC Heritage and T15 at the Truist Championship, and while the Memorial Tournament was a bright spot with a T7 finish.  What’s notable is that in all of these events, Fowler was in the field via an exemption. Despite the ongoing scrutiny, Fowler hasn’t shied away from the criticism.

“The negative talk helps fuel me to prove people wrong,” he said during the Truist Championship. But so far, that fire hasn’t translated into results. Most recently, he received a sponsor exemption into the Travelers Championship, where he finished T36 after a rough second round that included five bogeys and two double bogeys. Now, he heads to Detroit, Michigan, for the Rocket Classic, but this time under a past champion exemption, not a sponsor’s invite.

When asked at the Rocket Classic if he believes he can win here again, Fowler was optimistic. “Play good golf…been close and seen a lot of good things. Nice to be in a position where the body’s starting to feel a bit better and starting to see some results,” he said. Most of his recent starts have indeed come through exemptions, but there’s been a noticeable uptick in performance. His approach game has been a weakness all year, currently ranking 101st in Strokes Gained: Approach, but a recent tweak to his irons seems to be making a difference. “Having a decent week at Memorial, you’re never as far off as you think you might be.” That, combined with the positive momentum from his Memorial finish, has Fowler sounding more confident.

He knows the margins are razor thin on the PGA Tour. “It’s tough out here…but I know I’m plenty good enough to win,” he said. “Eliminate some mistakes and hopefully see some putts go in, and we’ll have ourselves a good chance this week.” Fowler appears to be dialing things in, and his performances over the last two months have easily been his most promising stretch of the season. After missing the Masters and the US Open this season, he is set to play in The Open from July 19-22 at the Dunluce Course.

Backing that up, Fowler recently spoke about feeling healthier than he has in a while, “starting to feel a little bit better. I don’t think any of us are ever at 100 percent out here. If you can somehow manage to stay in the 70 to 80 percent range health-wise, that’s a good spot.” With almost every golfer facing the wrath of an injury, be it back, shoulder, or arm, being healthy is honestly the biggest deal.

As Fowler put it, “I’m feeling pretty good and allowing myself to go play golf.” That line sums it up. Earlier this year, he looked stuck, fighting both his swing and his body. But now, with his health trending in the right direction, he’s no longer grinding through pain. He’s just playing golf again and hoping that freedom leads to the kind of finish he knows he’s still capable of. But he has admitted his challenge with getting back to his form from before.

Not the first time he accepted his bad form

This isn’t the first time Rickie Fowler has admitted his game hasn’t been where it needs to be. After getting passed over for a sponsor exemption to the Arnold Palmer Invitational, he didn’t seem too surprised. He’d already received invites to a few big events like the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and Genesis Invitational, and the organizers decided it was time to give other players a chance. Fowler got it. “It would be a lot easier just having played well last year and earned my way into these events,” he said. “But it’s tough to try and get all of them.”

And instead of pushing back, Fowler kept it real: “At the end of the day, play better.” That’s not just humility; it’s a reflection of where his confidence and reality meet. For a player who’s long been a fan favorite but is no longer exempt from every big event, it’s clear he understands the privileges are running thin. “Yeah, it is what it is,” he added, pointing to the fact that sponsor invites aren’t guaranteed forever. His comments show a player who’s not in denial; he knows his reputation can only carry him so far. The honest tone suggests he’s tired of relying on goodwill and wants his game, not his past, to start earning those spots again. He knows he needs to step up and let his golf do the talking, but for some reason is struggling to do that.

Anyways, fans who missed out on buying the Rocket Classic tickets can catch the action live on CBS and the Golf Channel. With momentum slowly building and his game starting to show signs of life, the stage is set. The real question now is, can he finally quiet the noise with a statement performance, maybe even a win? This could be the week where words give way to results.