When Rickie Fowler finished his second round at The Barclays yesterday at Liberty National, his name stood near the top of the leaderboard alongside two fellow rising stars — Webb Simpson and Keegan Bradley.
Simpson, who has the best 36-hole score in the books at 9-under par, is a three-time PGA Tour winner with a major championship (the 2012 U.S. Open). Bradley, who is tied with Fowler at 7-under after shooting a course-record 63, is also a three-time PGA Tour winner with a major championship (the 2011 PGA Championship).
And yet, Fowler is the most recognizable of the three.
That’s wrong on a number of levels, first because players should be recognized most for their accomplishments on the golf course, not their marketing off it.
This is a wrong Fowler can right with a win this weekend.
There may not be a player in the field of the first leg of the FedEx Cup playoffs who would benefit more from a win than Fowler.
Fowler and New York City are a perfect match. They are both flashy, recognizable and well-marketed. A Fowler win not only would further validate his credibility as one of the top young talents in the game, it would raise his Q rating to even greater heights.
Fowler is easily one of the top five most recognizable players in golf, yet he has won exactly one tournament in his PGA Tour career: the 2012 Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow.
Fowler’s array of neon-colored Puma outfits, along with the way he wears a flat-brimmed ball cap (often backward) has fans of all ages walking around golf courses mimicking his wardrobe.
“I think it’s great the way he’s marketed himself,’’ Simpson said. “Rickie is one of the most recognizable names in golf, and he does a great job at signing autographs for kids and with sponsors. If I was one of his companies, I’d be proud to have him.’’
Don’t hate Fowler for his marketing genius or because he has won only once. He’s a 24-year-old with years of golf ahead of him who gets it, and that is refreshing.
Fowler, a delightful person who reaches his fan base in a similar fashion as the personable Phil Mickelson, simply needs to win more tournaments. It’s a tall task and a big ask, but if he is able to string together some wins, including a major championship or two, Fowler has a real chance to follow in the footsteps of Mickelson, one of his mentors.
“He’s definitely someone I look up and have learned from,’’ Fowler said. “He’s got a great following with the New York crowds, and I would not mind having the same. I definitely wouldn’t mind following in Phil’s footsteps.’’
He must win to do that.
Before Fowler’s victory at Quail Hollow, a stirring playoff triumph over Rory McIlroy, Fowler was teetering precariously on Anna Kournikova territory as an over-marketed, good-looking athlete who had not won anything — the way Kournikova was in women’s tennis.
That win was immensely important for him because it validated him as one of the top young players — particularly in the wake of his fabulous performance for the U.S. Ryder Cup team in 2010.
But if Fowler is going to separate himself, he must take the next step and win more.
Fowler can alleviate the underachiever tag that might follow him with a win tomorrow at Liberty National in the shadow of the Manhattan skyline. That truly would be a win-win — another notch on his résumé and a boost for his brand.
“With the New York area being such a big sports community, a win here definitely would go a long ways for me,’’ he said.
Fowler reassessed his game after missing the cut at the British Open in July and yesterday said he feels better about his game entering these playoffs than he ever has. He knows he needs to win, he expects to win more and he believes the wins will come.
“If you don’t have those expectations or believe it or think that of yourself, then you probably shouldn’t be playing out here or you’re just going to be kind of making cuts and getting by,’’ he said. “I don’t want to be that person.”