Rickie Fowler is a man who has really struggled with his game over the past couple of years.
Despite the fact that Fowler returned to the winner’s circle on the PGA Tour back in July 2023, the 36-year-old is still a shadow of his former self.
When he burst onto the scene with his first PGA Tour win more than 13 years ago now, big things were expected of the man from Murrieta, California.
However, he has failed to live up to his potential.
Fowler was dejected after missing out on the Tour Championship this season, but 2025 was his second highest finish on the FedEx Cup points list since the 2017-18 season.
There were definitely some signs of improvement throughout the year, although Fowler wasn’t entirely happy with his swing.
The really frustrating thing for Fowler fans is that he won’t be in action for a while now.
Why Rickie Fowler could now spend nearly six months away from golf
Fowler’s last appearance on the PGA Tour came back in August in the BMW Championship at Caves Valley.
And we may not see him again until late January.
That’s mainly because Fowler has not been selected for a special exemption at the Hero World Challenge.
Jordan Spieth was bestowed the Hero World Challenge honor instead, alongside Billy Horschel and Akshay Bhatia.
And now Fowler may not be back in action until the American Express in La Quinta, California, on January 22nd.
That’s according to Rickie Fowler Tracker on X, at least – a very reliable account when it comes to news on the six-time PGA Tour winner.
Three key areas Rickie Fowler must improve in 2026
Fowler was pretty consistent in 2025, with nine top-25 finishes in 21 PGA Tour events to his name.
However, he simply didn’t do enough to contend to win tournaments.
And three particular departments of his game prevented him from contending.
| Stats | Fowler’s 2025 rank |
| Strokes gained approach | 91st |
| Strokes gained putting | 78th |
| Strokes gained around the green | 111th |
Fowler’s iron play, putting and chipping clearly haven’t been anywhere near good enough since the start of the 2025 season.
He needs to work very hard on his game during the off-season, and hopefully he will return to the PGA Tour in 2026 having improved those three departments of his game.
If he manages to do that, there is no question that he will be able to win again.