Rickie Fowler will be next young American to break through major barrier
The past four major winners in golf all are young Americans, and the United States isn’t done dominating the game yet.
Rickie Fowler made that clear through 18 holes at Augusta National Golf Club on Sunday and then again in the interview room following the 82nd Masters.
“My next goal?” Fowler asked in response to a question Sunday night. “Win a major. We're close. That's the No. 1 priority.”
Fowler feels like the only young American without one at the moment. All four current major holders are from the United States. That would be Patrick Reed, who won the Masters on Sunday, Brooks Koepka, Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas. All are 27 or younger. Fowler is the old man in the group at 29, but he’s very close with Spieth and Thomas especially.
“When you see your friends win, and I've been there for a handful of my buddies winning, whether it's a tour event or a major championship, it's motivating when your friends win,” Fowler said. “It's motivating when you see your friends out there playing well.”
Fowler showed long ago he had the game to win a major. Sunday, he showed he had the nerve for it, shooting a final-round 67 and hitting a seven-foot birdie putt on No. 18, forcing Reed to par the final hole to secure the win. Fowler finished 14-under par to Reed's 15-under.
“I am ready to go win a major, but this was kind of the first major week that I've understood that and known that and felt that,” Fowler said. “I would say previously, still feeling the nerves and dealing with, you know, tough rounds and things not going your way.”
After watching from the scoring room while Reed drained the winning putt, Fowler came out to give Reed a congratulatory handshake and hug.
“I mean, I gave it my all,” he said. “I left everything out there on the golf course. It would have been nice to have a few more coming in and give it a real chance, but we did everything we could, and Patrick went out there and outplayed all of us this week, and he earned it. So, you've got to give it to him. He's your Masters champion. It was fun to get that birdie at the last and at least, like I said, keep him honest and make him earn it.”
Reed was on the 18th tee box when he heard the roar from Fowler’s birdie.
“Even though I knew Jon (Rahm) was in the group, I just knew it had to be Rickie,” Reed said. “To win your first major is never easy, and it wasn’t easy today.”
The next major is the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, which Fowler called “one of my favorite golf courses in the U.S.”
“I'm really looking forward to this year and the three majors that are left,” he said. “Should be a very good major season."
This story was originally published April 8, 2018 at 8:22 PM with the headline "Rickie Fowler will be next young American to break through major barrier."