Watch Rickie Fowler overcome with emotion after sealing first win in four years

Rickie Fowler capped off a career comeback with his sixth PGA Tour victory at the Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club.

Ben Smith

02 Jul 2023

Watch Rickie Fowler overcome with emotion after sealing first win in four years

Rickie Fowler was nearly reduced to tears after he returned to the winner's circle on the PGA Tour for the first time in four years.

Fowler needed extra holes to to defeat Collin Morikawa and Adam Hadwin in a three-man playoff at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

The American's struggles have been well documented in recent years but this season he has been in supreme form.

Related: Who is Rickie Fowler's wife?

He's had a number of top-10s, moved back into the world's top 50 and even shared the 54-hole lead at the 2023 U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club.

Perhaps the pressure got to Fowler that day as he crumbled like a pack of cards as Wyndham Clark won his maiden major.

At Detroit Golf Club it was a different story but he needed extra holes to get the job done and cap off a memorable career comeback.

Fowler turned in 3-under but wasted chances on the back nine as Morikawa (64) posted the clubhouse lead at 24-under.

Had it not been for a clutch approach at No. 18 Fowler would have been made to wait for his sixth PGA Tour victory.

Rickie Fowler returns to the winner's circle on the PGA Tour after needing extra holes to win the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
It's been 1,610 days since his last win. pic.twitter.com/Ymrg4EpUnp
— GolfMagic (@GolfMagic) July 2, 2023

Fowler sent the crowd into a frenzy when he struck his approach at the 72nd hole inside four feet. He duly tapped in his birdie putt to join Morikawa and Hadwin in a playoff.

Both Hadwin and Morikawa found the fairway at the first playoff hole whereas Fowler sent his tee shot way, way right.

Despite being in good position Morikawa missed the green long and couldn't hole his greenside chip. Hadwin had a birdie putt from outside Fowler but gave the 34-year-old a read, missing high.

He didn't waste the opportunity and was visibly emotional as he claimed his first win since the 2019 WM Phoenix Open. He hugged his wife Allison Stokke and embraced his daughter Maya.

Watch:

“It’s hard to put it into words.”@RickieFowler was emotional after his victory @RocketClassic. pic.twitter.com/aFlFUFAN2D
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 2, 2023

Fowler told the media:

"It's hard to really put it all into words. Obviously, [I've] played a lot of good golf this year. I been playing some really good golf. I knew it was just a matter of time with how I've been playing. I've had a couple of tough weekends where I've had a chance. At the U.S. Open I didn't get it done, but at the end of the day getting to hold her [Maya] and hang with her and my wife... yeah, winning is great but there is a lot more to life than golf."

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With the win, Fowler moved into eighth in the FedEx Cup standings. He also earned a pay day of $1,584,000, taking his career earnings to just shy of $47m.

Morikawa said:

"Playoffs suck when you're on the wrong side of them. You put everything you want into it and comes down to one hole, but that's what golf is. You've got to perform, you've got to execute the shots."

As for Fowler, you would at this point have to consider the American a lock to be in Zach Johnson's Ryder Cup side.

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