Rickie Fowler will be on the outside looking in at the FedEx Cup play-offs for the first time in his 12-year professional career.
At the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, North Carolina, the PGA Tour’s regular-season finale, Fowler shot a two-over-par 72 in his second round to drop to three-over and missed the cut by six strokes.
A fan favourite, Fowler has been mired in a slump and entered the week No. 130 in the FedEx Cup points standings. He needed a strong performance at Sedgefield Country Club to get inside the top 125 and qualify for the play-offs, which begin next week at the Northern Trust in Jersey City.
“Yeah, it sucks,” Fowler said. “I mean, I know what I’m capable of, I’ve been up there and played against the best in the world and been a top-five, top-10 player in the world for a number of years in my career. I’m not in a position where I’m comfortable or where I want to be.
“Like I said, with the season ending now for me, it’s kind of just added motivation. ‘Hey, let’s figure out what we need to go do and let’s go do it.’
“Never been here. I’m used to being in contention, ready to go to East Lake (for the Tour Championship) and go have some fun through the play-offs. That’s not the case this year. A little kick in the butt. Go home and get ready to go.”
Fowler is not at risk of losing his PGA Tour card because his victory at the 2015 Players Championship earned him a five-year exemption, with additional years added on for every subsequent win.
However, he hasn’t won a tournament since February 2019. Fowler’s best finish this season was a tie for eighth at the PGA Championship, a major he qualified for only due to a special exemption. The Wyndham Championship was his ninth missed cut in 24 starts. Other players in contention in Greensboro will benefit from Fowler’s missed cut. Chief among them is Justin Rose, the Englishman who won the FedEx Cup in 2018.
Rose came to the Wyndham Championship at No. 138 in points, needing to finish 10th or better to make the play-off field. Rounds of 66 and 65 have him tied for fifth at 9 under, five back of leader Russell Henley.
