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USA Today via Reuters

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USA Today via Reuters

Soon after an outstanding first round in The Open 2025, Rickie Fowler admitted he loves playing links golf, “It’s a style of golf I love to play. I know I can compete in any style of golf, but especially this.” The links condition seems to suit him, and he is enjoying himself at Royal Portrush. After 18 holes, he sat at 2-under 69. On top of it, he seemed eager to break his winless streak since the 2023 RBC Heritage. While the course may have played its part, Fowler has also been working on other aspects to improve. And he revealed how he manages his struggles when he is out of form.

The 6-time PGA Tour winner was on the latest episode of 9 WITH 9 with Adam Cianciarulo. That’s when the host asked him what he is working on improving right now. “Yeah, you’re always paying attention to stuff. Making sure, fundamentally, staying in a good spot and doing some ball testing right now. Figuring out what could be better or if I stay where I’m at or what,” Fowler said to Adam.

As per the last reports from his golf kit, he was carrying the Titleist Pro V1 golf ball. No changes have been reported since then, so it seems that he has decided to “stay where” he is. Staying on top of such things is helping Fowler stay on top of his game and try to overcome his struggles. He is indeed making the most of the opportunity he got from his T7 finish at the Memorial Tournament. Intrigued by the response, Cianciarulo asked what kind of change he was looking for.

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The PGA Tour pro replied, “In wind, like… This is probably a little bit harder than a wind that you’d normally see. But, a ball that will stay down into the wind and do well, flight-wise.” Considering the uncertain weather conditions of Royal Portrush, Fowler was hoping to find a ball that would probably help him battle the wind on the links course. While he didn’t make any changes to his kit, he may have modified his approach as he had a spectacular first round in the major. Fowler looked brilliant in the second round as well. The conditions got more challenging, but he only conceded 1 stroke and finished at T26 on Friday.

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Rickie Fowler is looking for ways to return to form

The Rickie Fowler of 2014 was a world beater, an upcoming star, the next big thing in golf. He’s only a mere shadow of that version of himself in 2025. From finishing within the top 5 in every major back then, Fowler has gone to not even qualifying for two of them this year. The last time he won was in 2023, the Rocket Classic. This season, his best performance was in the Memorial Tournament, where he finished T7. His recent resurgence may be a reflection of a strategy he had implemented back in December 2024.

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Is Rickie Fowler's recent form a sign of a comeback, or just a fleeting moment?

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In a Foreplay podcast, Fowler revealed that he plans to tighten a little bit of everything” to ensure he makes fewer mistakes. To elaborate, he added, “If you drive it well, you don’t have to do anything too great from there. But if you’re putting well, it kind of takes the stress off the rest.” He was focused on improving his driving and putting in 2025. Comparing the stats from 2024, we can see that he has been more accurate off the tee this year. His accuracy has improved from 60.59% to 62.47%. However, his putting has gotten worse overall. Maybe that is something Rickie Fowler is still working on.

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Is Rickie Fowler's recent form a sign of a comeback, or just a fleeting moment?

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