Rejuvenated Rickie Fowler cuts contented figure back at Scottish Open as he reveals his Wimbledon 'bucket-list' moment

Winning the Genesis Scottish Open at Gullane in 2015 may have been special for Rickie Fowler, but the handshakes from the likes of legendary caddie Billy Foster and nods of acknowledgement from others walking past him on the range at The Renaissance Club early on Tuesday morning might even have meant more for the American.

He’s returned to Scotland’s Golf Coast, after all, as a winner again, having landed a sixth PGA Tour title but first since February 2019 with a play-off victory in the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit a week past Sunday. Life on the course is good again for Fowler and it’s perfect timing. Next week’s 151st Open at Royal Liverpool marks a return to the venue where he finished second behind Rory McIlroy in 2014.

“It is great to be coming over here the way I am playing and having a win under my belt again,” declared the 34-year-old, happily stopping for a chat before heading out for nine holes with Justin Thomas, another of the big names in the second stellar field for the $9 million Rolex Series event since it become co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour and PGA Tour.

Before arriving in East Lothian, ‘Frat Packers’ Fowler, Thomas and Jordan Spieth spent some quality time in London with their wives, though tennis, not golf, was the primary reason for their visit to the English capital. “We played Sunningdale on Saturday, went to Wimbledon on Sunday then I played North Berwick yesterday – nice little stretch!” said Fowler.

Rickie Fowler tees off on the fifth hole during a practice round prior to the Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club in East Lothian. Picture: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images.

His smile was almost as wide as the Firth of Forth when he was asked about the golfing trio looking very dapper indeed for their visit to the All England Club. “Well, we felt we at least had to look the part,” he added. “It’s been a bucket-list item for all six of us and it was the first time for all of us. It was a really good few days down there.”

Fowler’s Gullane glory came the year after he’d recorded top-five finishes in all four majors, but, just 12 months ago, the one-time world No 4 had slipped outside the top 150 for the first time since his rookie season on the PGA Tour in 2010. In a resurgent 2023 campaign, though, eight top-ten finishes in 20 starts have rocketed him back up the rankings to currently sit 21st.

“A big relief,” he said of returning to the winners’ circle. “It was a rough few years. So to have that one done and out of the way, it feels similar to back when I won my first one on tour in the Wells Fargo (in 2012). Since the last few years have been a bit rough, to get the first one out of the way was nice as winning again was a big goal for us.”

By us, he mainly means him and Butch Harmon, having linked up again with the legendary swing coach, but Fowler said the process that led to his career getting back on track started before that development. “I learned a lot of stuff with John Tillery swing-wise and also about myself and how the swing works,” he said of his former coach.

Rickie Fowler celebrates with his daughter, Maya, after winning the Rocket Mortgage Classic in a play-off at Detroit Golf Club. PIcture: Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images.

“That kind of gave me the base and platform to then be back with Butch and work through some stuff with him and, ultimately, knew what I needed to do. I just had to continue to grind on it and I was just starting to see some results pretty quickly. I just had to keep going and keep pushing.

“The mental side is a big part of it. I was never very far off in that respect, but having that belief, being able to have confidence and build momentum, I just wasn’t able to do that. I was never able to back up some good play. One week to the next, I just didn’t really know what would be coming out.”

With all due respect to the other five golfers to have been crowned as Scottish Open champion in East Lothian, Fowler is easily the most popular player to have claimed the coveted prize on Scotland’s Golf Coast. Though ‘Rickie’s Bar’ is no longer a feature in the members’ clubhouse at Gullane, his 2015 success is still marked by a club, signed shirt and photos all being part of a display in the visitors’ clubhouse across the road.

“Obviously I’m back with a lot more confidence and built some momentum,” he said of returning to this neck of the woods. “Yeah, there’s a lot more self belief and belief in the game through knowing what I have been able to do and the consistent play and obviously now having the win under my belt. Yeah, a lot different feeling to where we are now to 12 months ago, two years ago, three years ago, for sure.

Rickie Fowler shows off the trophy after winning the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open at Gullane in 2015. Picture: Andrew Redington/Getty Images.

“I think I’m in a better position now than I’ve ever been. Just from all the stuff I’ve been through, the stuff I’ve learned, dealing with the last few years, dealing with failure. I feel like I’m in a position now where I’m not afraid to fail as I’ve definitely dealt with that. It’s definitely freed me up to be back. I enjoyed the process even when I was struggling. I enjoyed the grind of it but now, it’s a lot more fun when you are playing well and seeing results.”

As a consequence, life is good again, on and off the course, for one of the game’s most popular figures. “Especially through the last few years, golf was the only thing that wasn’t in a good spot,” he said. “Everything else has been amazing - being married now, having a little one back home. Yeah, life is significantly different now and I feel that me as a golfer and the way I am playing is up there as probably the best it’s ever been.”