Two years of recurring sinus infections have forced Rickie Fowler to schedule surgery after the season. They have made him feel loopy, struggle with his short putts, and even run high fevers during tournaments. Take the 2026 Truist Championship, for example, where a sinus infection and a fever of 102-103 degrees affected the six-time PGA Tour champ’s opening round. He even admitted, before recovering, that he wasn’t sure he could hit short putts. But now, Fowler has decided to undergo surgery for that, and ESPN’s Doug Bell has confirmed the news.
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“Rickie Fowler has reportedly been dealing with a serious sinus infection for over two years now and is set to have surgery after the season concludes, per @DougBellESPN. Fowler heads into Sunday’s final round 3 off the lead. @RickieLegion,” NUCLR GOLF posted on August 2.
Fowler’s battle with a sinus infection isn’t new. Reports suggest the California native also suffered in May and June while teeing up at Muirfield Village because of the infection. While speaking to Robert Damron ahead of the final round, his voice was more congested and coarse than usual. Fans suspected he missed the cuts at the Memorial, Charles Schwab, and U.S. Open because of his health.
“I was battling a bit of a sinus infection early in the week. Tuesday night, Wednesday night, probably 102, 103,” Fowler said while playing in the Truist Championship. “I was a little loopy and didn’t quite feel like my head was in the right spot on my body. So I tried to fight through yesterday the best I could.”
Although his 2026 season was inconsistent because of poor performances, Fowler did not let it define him. In May, he finished T2 at the Truist Championship despite having a fever and a sinus infection.
He made a strong comeback at the WM Phoenix Open this year after a rough 2025 because of pain and inflammation in his left shoulder. For most of the 2025 season, Fowler was on medication every week to overcome bursitis and fluid buildup in his shoulder. Naturally, it affected his performance, and he had to undergo surgery. The road back has been hard enough, and now Fowler might have to take another break after this season.
So far, however, Fowler has not made a statement or provided an update on his health. Instead, he carries a strong position on the leaderboard on Sunday at Detroit Golf Club. At the time of writing, he has completed three rounds and sits T3. After a strong opening round (1 eagle, 6 birdies, 1 bogey) and a relatively strong round two (5 birdies, 3 bogeys), Fowler carded 67 on Saturday, opening with par-bogey before three back-nine birdies.