It has been nearly 2 years since Rickie Fowler last won on the PGA Tour. The 36-year-old has struggled to grab a result despite delivering great performances. Since his win in the 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic, Fowler has managed eleven top-25 finishes. The closest he came was in the 2024 ZOZO Championship, where he finished at T4. However, that might change in the ongoing Charles Schwab Challenge. How?
After the conclusion of 54 holes, Fowler sits at solo third, 4 strokes behind the leaders at Colonial Country Club. He has managed a 9-under par till Saturday and is a strong contender to Ben Griffin and Matthias Schmid’s lead in the event. With things looking good for the Californian hours before the Sunday tee, Jin Nantz also shared some positive information with Fowler to keep his spirit high.
Walking the 15th fairway in the third round, the 6-time PGA Tour winner had headphones on as he spoke to the golf analyst. Golf on CBS shared the video with the caption, “Rickie Fowler joins us for a walk and talk during third round coverage @CSChallengeFW ,” as Nantz asked, “You’re back here at Colonial, where there are great memories going to when you were the first Freshman to ever win the Ben Hogan award right here on the sacred grounds of Colonial. What’s it like for you being here with all these memories?”
Studying at Oklahoma State in 2008, Rickie Fowler had been awarded the NCAA’s Ben Hogan Award, given to outstanding collegiate performers for the season. Fowler, who was only 19 back then, had competed in 11 strokeplay tournaments that year. He managed to finish in the top 10 in the first 9 events. Talking about winning the award, he said, “I look at Ben Hogan as the king of golf. To win an award that represents him, his work ethic, and everything he did for the game is inspiring to me to go out and work hard.” He seemed truly honored to achieve the feat and was also awarded the Southern Golf Association’s National Amateur of the Month and the Big 12 Golfer of the Month for September, not long after.
Coming back to the interview with Nantz, Fowler replied, “Oh, you’re bringing that up. That was a long time ago,” suggesting that he had forgotten about those fond memories. He added, “This is always a special place to come back to. I’ve always had a lot of fun. I used to be a part of the Crowne Plaza, who was the sponsor back in the day. Obviously, Charles Schwab has been a great sponsor here. I just love coming back here for work. It’s a great area. Always enjoy the week.” Rickie Fowler has made 11 appearances at the Colonial Country Club as a professional golfer. He has only missed the cut thrice and finished in the top 10 twice. It seems that he has really enjoyed coming back here to compete in another Charles Schwab Challenge.
Rickie Fowler joins us for a walk and talk during third round coverage @CSChallengeFW pic.twitter.com/PaOp0w6Ks5
— Golf on CBS (@GolfonCBS) May 24, 2025
Despite not winning on the course, Fowler does seem to enjoy playing at the Colonial Country Club. The CBS coverage also revealed an interesting stat about his record in the Charles Schwab Challenge this year.
Rickie Fowler revitalized at the Colonial Country Club
2025 has been a roller-coaster ride for Rickie Fowler. He didn’t qualify for a trip to ANGC, missed the cut at Quail Hollow, and had to withdraw at TPC Scottsdale due to an injury. However, the 36-year-old also had some great performances like the T15 in the Truist Championship, a T18 in the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches, and a T21 in the American Express. Before stepping onto the Colonial Country Club this season, Fowler’s best 54-hole finish was at T6. He just surpassed that with a solo third at the end of Saturday’s round.
With a shot at ending his losing streak, the Murrieta local will use his familiarity with the course to his advantage. And the confidence he received from Jim Nantz will certainly help him push harder for a win in the 2025 Charles Schwab Challenge. Do you foresee a win for Rickie Fowler at the end of the fourth round on Sunday? Let us know in the comments section.
The post Jim Nantz Helps a Stressed Rickie Fowler Cheer Up by Mentioning Rare Feat Claimed by Pro 17 Years Ago appeared first on EssentiallySports.