Career Timeline of Rickie Fowler: Major Achievements and Milestones

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Rickie Fowler made an impact.

Rickie Fowler is an American professional golfer on the PGA Tour, notable for having been the world's number one ranked amateur golfer for 36 weeks. He reached a career-high of fourth in the Official World Golf Ranking in 2016 after winning the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship. Fowler is also one of only four golfers to ever shoot a 62 in a major championship, achieving this feat at the 2023 U.S. Open.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1999: Sergio García's Ryder Cup Debut

In 1999, Sergio García was the only European player younger than Rickie Fowler when he made his Ryder Cup debut.

2005: Western Junior Win and U.S. Amateur

In the summer of 2005, Rickie Fowler won the Western Junior and competed in the U.S. Amateur, where he was defeated by Richie Ramsay.

2006: U.S. Junior Amateur

In 2006, Rickie Fowler shot a 137 for two rounds at the U.S. Junior Amateur and was knocked out in the second round of match play.

October 1, 2007: Fighting Illini Invitational Victory

On October 1, 2007, Rickie Fowler posted his first collegiate victory at the Fighting Illini Invitational hosted by the University of Illinois, shooting a 203 to win the tournament.

2007: Walker Cup Victory, Sunnehanna Amateur and Players Amateur

In 2007, Rickie Fowler represented the United States in its victory at the Walker Cup with a 3–1 record. In June 2007, he won the Sunnehanna Amateur, and in July 2007, he won the Players Amateur.

2007: Number One Ranked Amateur Golfer

In 2007, Rickie Fowler was the number one ranked amateur golfer in the world.

2007: SW League Final Victory

In his senior year in high school, 2007, Rickie Fowler won the SW League Final with a total score of 64-69=133 and led his team to the state final.

October 2008: Eisenhower Trophy Team

In October 2008, Rickie Fowler played on the Eisenhower Trophy team that finished second and was the leading individual player.

2008: Number One Ranked Amateur Golfer

In 2008, Rickie Fowler remained the number one ranked amateur golfer in the world.

2008: Sunnehanna Amateur Champion and U.S. Open

In 2008, Rickie Fowler repeated as Sunnehanna Amateur champion. During the first round of the U.S. Open in 2008, Fowler shot a −1 (70) and finished tied for 60th overall.

September 2009: Equipment Deal with Titleist and Rolex Deal

In September 2009, Rickie Fowler signed a multi-year equipment deal with Titleist and later signed a deal with Rolex.

December 2009: PGA Tour Card

In December 2009, Rickie Fowler successfully gained his PGA Tour card for 2010 through qualifying school, finishing T15.

2009: Nationwide Tour Runner-Up and Pro Debut

In 2009, Rickie Fowler finished as runner-up in the Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational. After the Walker Cup, Fowler turned professional and played the Albertsons Boise Open on the Nationwide Tour for his pro debut.

2009: Walker Cup Appearance and Ben Hogan Award

In 2009, Rickie Fowler made his second appearance in the Walker Cup, winning all four matches. He was also given the 2008 Ben Hogan Award in 2009.

February 2010: Waste Management Phoenix Open

In February 2010, Rickie Fowler finished second at the Waste Management Phoenix Open with a score of 15-under-par at the TPC of Scottsdale course.

2010: Missed Qualifying for U.S. Open

In 2010, Rickie Fowler did not qualify for the U.S. Open, marking a significant moment as the first major he had missed up to that point in his career.

2010: Gained PGA Tour card

In December 2009, Rickie Fowler successfully gained his PGA Tour card for 2010 through qualifying school, finishing T15.

July 2011: Tied 54-hole lead at the AT&T National

In July 2011, Rickie Fowler tied the 54-hole lead at the AT&T National.

2011: Release of "Oh Oh Oh" music video with the Golf Boys

On the eve of the 2011 U.S. Open, the "Golf Boys," including Rickie Fowler, released a YouTube video of the song "Oh Oh Oh." Farmers Insurance donated $1,000 for every 100,000 views of the video, with proceeds benefiting Farmers and Ben Crane charitable initiatives.

2011: World Ranking

Rickie Fowler ended 2011 ranked 32nd in the world.

May 2012: Wells Fargo Championship Win

In May 2012, Rickie Fowler won the Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte on the first extra hole of a sudden-death playoff, defeating Rory McIlroy and D. A. Points. He broke the top-25 in the world, placing him at number 24.

2013: Top-10 Finishes During Season

During the 2013-14 season, Rickie Fowler had 10 top-10 finishes.

2013: Australian PGA Championship Runner-Up

In 2013, Rickie Fowler finished runner-up in the Australian PGA Championship, four shots behind Adam Scott.

2014: Runner-Up Finishes at U.S. Open and Open Championship

In 2014, Rickie Fowler had a runner-up finish at the U.S. Open and another second-place finish at the Open Championship.

2015: Jordan Spieth became fourth player to achieve top 5 in all four majors in one calendar year

In 2015, Jordan Spieth became the fourth player to finish in the top 5 in all four majors in one calendar year.

January 24, 2016: Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship Victory

On January 24, 2016, Rickie Fowler reached a career-high fourth in the Official World Golf Ranking following his victory in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.

2016: Scottish Open Withdrawal and Olympic Games Participation

In 2016, Rickie Fowler withdrew from the Scottish Open and participated in the Olympic Games, finishing 37th.

2016: Victory in Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship and Hole-in-One for Charity

In 2016, Rickie Fowler won the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship and made a hole-in-one with Luke Donald's pitching wedge to win $1 million for Ernie Els' charity, Els for Autism.

November 12, 2017: Runner-up Finish at OHL Classic at Mayakoba

On November 12, 2017, Rickie Fowler finished as runner-up at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba, one stroke shy of the winner and became the 27th golfer to win $30,000,000 in Tour earnings.

December 3, 2017: Hero World Challenge Victory

On December 3, 2017, Rickie Fowler won the Hero World Challenge with a final round of 61, setting a course and tournament record.

2017: First Round Lead at U.S. Open and Top-5 Finish at PGA Championship

In 2017, Rickie Fowler carded a 65 to take the first-round lead at the U.S. Open and finished tied for fifth at the PGA Championship.

September 2018: Ryder Cup Participation

In September 2018, Rickie Fowler participated in the Ryder Cup, where Europe defeated the U.S. team.

2018: Second Place at Masters Tournament

In 2018, Rickie Fowler finished in 2nd place at the Masters Tournament, one stroke behind Patrick Reed.

2018: 54-Hole Lead at Waste Management Phoenix Open

In 2018, Rickie Fowler took the 54-hole lead at the Waste Management Phoenix Open but finished T11 in the final round.

2018: 30,000,000 in Tour earnings

On November 12, 2017, Rickie Fowler finished as runner-up at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba, one stroke shy of the winner and became the 27th golfer to win $30,000,000 in Tour earnings.

December 2019: Presidents Cup

In December 2019, Rickie Fowler played on the U.S. team at the 2019 Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Australia, where the U.S. team won 16–14.

2019: Tied for Second at the Honda Classic

In 2019, Rickie Fowler tied for second at the Honda Classic. This was his best finish on Tour until he tied for second at the Zozo Championship.

2019: PGA Tour Season

In 2019, the PGA Tour season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2019: Won the Rocket Mortgage Classic

In July 2019, Rickie Fowler won the Rocket Mortgage Classic in a playoff over Collin Morikawa and Adam Hadwin. It was his first win on the PGA Tour since the 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open.

2020: Last Top-10 Finish at the Sentry Tournament of Champions

In 2020, Rickie Fowler had a top-10 finish at the Sentry Tournament of Champions. This was his last top-10 finish until his T8th placing at the 2021 PGA Championship.

2020: PGA Tour Season

In 2020, Rickie Fowler's struggles continued with up and down results. He missed the cut at the 2020 PGA Championship and finished T49th at The Northern Trust, failing to qualify for the BMW Championship. He would finish T29th at the 2020 Masters Tournament.

2021: Missed cut at the Players Championship and risk of missing the Masters Tournament

In 2021, Fowler struggled, missing the cut at the Players Championship and finishing T65th at the Honda Classic. Heading into the Valero Texas Open, he was at risk of missing the 2021 Masters Tournament. After finishing T17th, he indeed missed the Masters, marking the first major he had missed since 2010.

2021: T8th at the PGA Championship

In 2021, Rickie Fowler missed cuts at the Wells Fargo Championship and the AT&T Byron Nelson. However, he finished T8th at the 2021 PGA Championship, marking his first top-10 finish in an event since the 2020 Sentry Tournament of Champions.

2022: Struggles and FedEx Cup Qualification

In 2022, Fowler continued to struggle, missing his first three cuts until a T55th finish at the Genesis Invitational. He only played one major, the PGA Championship, where he tied for 23rd. Fowler barely retained his Tour card, finishing 125th in the FedEx Cup, claiming the last spot.

2023: Shot 62 in U.S. Open

In 2023, Rickie Fowler shot 62 in a major championship, at the U.S. Open, played at the Los Angeles Country Club, becoming one of only four golfers to achieve this feat.