Rickie Fowler Sets ‘Priority’ as Tour Championship Dreams Collapse Despite Decent Run at Caves Valley

The penultimate FedEx Cup Playoff at Caves Valley delivered pure drama, with every swing shaping the Tour Championship field. Rickie Fowler, battling a tough 2025 season, closed with a 1-under to finish T-7, falling short of advancement. Now, his focus shifts to one priority—getting his body right.

Following his loss, Fowler shared with the media, “Obviously bummed. I knew what I needed to do. Just made a poor swing,”. Reflecting on the 14th hole, he explained, “8-iron into 14, I hung it out, left it out right. Really don’t feel the breeze down there in the fairway, and just got my start line out to the right too much, and I had the ball below my feet. A few variables. So bummer on that one.” It didn’t show signs of getting better on the next hole either. “I thought I flagged an 8-iron, ended up airmailing the green. There wasn’t that much room behind the hole, but I thought I was going to put one in there and have a good look at birdie and walk away with double.”

This loss sealed the final Tour Championship spot for Akshay Bhatia, leaving Fowler on the outside. Still, he emphasized that his focus isn’t just on results, but on health. “I want to get the body into a better spot, so that’s kind of a priority, and then go from there.” He even hinted golf may take a backseat: “I’m not sure how much I’ll play through the fall. We’ll kind of reassess.”

Despite the setback, Fowler stayed positive. “Been a lot of good stuff. Been a fun run through the summer. Nice to have a chance.” While wishing he had another week, he quickly looked ahead: “I wish we were playing next week, but we’ll head off and get to recovery and get ready for next year.”

For the 6-time PGA Tour winner, a tough 2025 season with 2 missed cuts, a WD, and just 3 top-10s—two in the playoffs—made his new priority clear: not trophies, but getting his body right. Still, at Caves Valley, he came painfully close to extending his season.

The blunder that cost Fowler the Tour Championship

Rickie Fowler was on track for East Lake after going 4-under through 10 holes, but things quickly fell apart. A bogey-birdie-bogey run was followed by an 8-iron that flew the 15th green, leading to a double bogey. “It’s hard to look back on 15 and say I did a whole lot wrong. I hit one down the middle and thought I flagged an iron shot. Just went a long way,” Fowler said. The mistake ended his chances.

The slip proved decisive, making way for Akshay Bhatia as the FedEx Cup field was finalized. The 30 names advancing to East Lake include heavyweights such as Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, and Viktor Hovland, as well as fresh faces. Among them is Harry Hall, who at 28 earned his first-ever Tour Championship berth. “Yeah, massive. Really happy,” Hall said. “Can’t wait to play in the FedEx Cup next week and hopefully keep continuing to play well.”

All 30 players will tee off in Atlanta next week, starting at even par. The one to stand out after 72 holes will be crowned the FedEx Cup title. Although fans will miss Rickie Fowler, the week won’t be a disappointment.