Rickie Fowler solid in return at Wells Fargo Championship

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – It wasn’t a paid sabbatical, a semester at sea, or a gap year, but for Rickie Fowler, who shot an opening, 1-under 70 in the first round of the Wells Fargo Championship on Thursday, the last four weeks certainly made for an unusually long break.

Since finishing T17 at the Valero Texas Open on April 4, he vacationed in Nashville, Tennessee, with Smylie Kaufman, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas and their significant others. He watched the Masters on TV with Tiger Woods at Tiger’s place. (The first time Fowler hadn’t qualified since 2010.) And he got a special exemption into the PGA Championship at Kiawah, May 20-23.

The one thing Fowler didn’t do was look at swing video. Although his refined action has been a work in progress for the last year or so, he said he’s no longer in the video phase. Now he’s just got to score.

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“I know it's close,” he said after a mostly solid round that ended with bogeys on 17 and 18. “I think some of it was spending a lot of time working on the swing, which needed to be done, but probably spent a little bit too long of a time focusing and worrying about certain things, and the last few months has just been going out and playing just a bit more golf instead of golf swing.”

Quail Hollow was the site of Fowler’s first of five PGA TOUR victories, way back in 2012, so the good vibes are on his side. And he’ll take all the help he can get. It’s not that he’s been playing so bad; it’s just that he hasn’t gotten the ball in the hole. He’s 175th in Strokes Gained: Putting (-.360), and came into this week 141st in the FedExCup and 116th in the Official World Golf Ranking.

That inefficient golf continued in sunny if slightly breezy conditions Thursday. Fowler hit 12 of 14 fairways in the first round at Quail Hollow, but took 30 putts and was only two for five in scrambling.

“Unfortunate to give a couple away on the last two coming in,” he said.

But, he added, he was proud to have reached 3 under before that.

Fowler didn’t totally disconnect from the TOUR during his break; he went to Woods’ house to watch the first round of the Masters. It was a scene that might have seemed unthinkable a few years ago, two guys who have figured so prominently in the tournament reduced to couch potatoes. Fowler – the runner-up in 2018, T9 in ’19 – had failed to qualify. Woods, the 2019 champ, is recovering from a February car crash.

Neither was happy about not playing.

“Hung out and spent some time with Charlie, and Sam was there for a little bit before she had to go to soccer practice,” Fowler said. “I think (Woods’) main focus and concern is getting back to being a dad, go play golf with Charlie, push him around, and be able to run around with Sam. But his golf clubs are right there in the living room and he can stare at them all he wants.”

As for the exemption into the PGA at Kiawah, he added: “I didn't play very well the last time I was there (74-80, MC), but I feel like it's a good golf course for me and can play a little bit more linksy and play in the wind, which is something I like to do. Obviously thanks to the PGA to get me a spot there.”

Woods’ next comeback has yet to be written. Spieth, of course, busted his recent slump with his victory at the Valero Texas Open. Fowler can only hope he follows suit this season, maybe even this week.

With an under-par round in the books at the Wells Fargo, he’s doing a lot more with his clubs than stare at them. If he can avoid mistakes – his approach on 18 found the water – and keep posting red numbers, then the next milestone may be not needing special exemptions at all.