Rickie Fowler has been consistently linked with a move to LIV Golf, but he shut down these rumors by staying with the PGA Tour and is set to defend his Rocket Mortgage Classic title this week.
Fowler, once considered a rising star in golf over a decade ago, had seen his performance decline before making a comeback at the Detroit Golf Club last July. He secured a PGA Tour win for the first time in four and a half years by defeating Collin Morikawa and Adam Hadwin in a tense playoff.
Despite his previous struggles, Fowler was rumored to be a top target for LIV Golf chief Greg Norman, who had already recruited notable players like Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, and Brooks Koepka. However, Fowler decided to remain with the PGA Tour and made a triumphant return to the winner’s circle. His victory was documented by Netflix’s “Full Swing,” a series capturing one of the most turbulent periods in professional golf.
On the show, Fowler explained his decision to decline LIV Golf’s offer, stating, “[Joining LIV] wasn’t the best choice for me. I’m not out there playing for a paycheck; I’m out there to compete with the best players in the world, and I believe the Tour is the best place to be. I’d like to see it continue to be like that.” With his commitment to the PGA Tour clear, Fowler is now focused on defending his title at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
Since his win last July, Fowler has struggled to regain his top form but showed improvement with a top-20 finish at last week’s Travelers Championship. He hopes to build on this momentum in Detroit.
Reflecting on last year’s win and looking ahead, he said, “It was a nice week and a big relief after the few years leading up to it. I’m looking forward to being back and picking up where we left off last year. I haven’t played quite that well since then, so it would be nice to get things going again this week here at Rocket.”
