Rickie Fowler’s stance on Masters proves he meant every word of LIV Golf rejection

Rickie Fowler is returning to the Masters for the first time in three years – and having missed out on competing at Augusta his decision to reject LIV Golf comes as no surprise

Rickie Fowler will compete at the Masters for the first time in three years next month, following his recent resurgence up the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR).

Fowler, a six-time winner on the PGA Tour, has missed the past three trips to Augusta National due to fitness issues. The 35-year-old has fallen to 160th in the 2022 rankings, dropping another spot from his 2016 top five ranking. But the American star bounced back to form during the 2023 season, winning his first PGA Tour title in more than four years after winning the Rocket Mortgage Classic last July.

His return to the winner’s circle helped him move up the rankings and earn him a key spot at the Masters for the first time in a while. After missing last year’s trip to Augusta, Fowler admitted: He is looking forward to knowing he can compete in the majors and hopes to return to Augusta next year. “But yes, it was disappointing. I think like everyone else, I ended up watching a fair amount of movies. I was playing golf and watching live streams on my phone, which motivated me to come back.

After he returns to play, this time there is no need to be satisfied with his streaming on mobile at all. His lack of major tournaments is clearly a sore point for the American, so his decision to give up golf is not surprising. The PGA Tour star has been heavily linked with a move to the breakaway league and is being pushed to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka and Jon Rahm.

Despite the rumors, the American decided to remain on tour and regained his status during the recent release of Full Swing’s second season. “(Joining LIV) wasn’t the best choice for me,” the six-time PGA Tour winner told Netflix’s cameras.

“I don’t play for a paycheck, I play to compete against the best players in the world, and I think the tour is the perfect place to do that. I would like to continue like this. ”

Given the lack of OWGR points in the Saudi-backed series, a move to LIV would definitely cost the Americans a spot in all four majors. Many LIV stars will be absent from the opening of this year’s flagship event next month in Georgia. 2023 Breakaway Tour champion Taylor Gooch is one of the favorites, with European heavyweights Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood also likely to miss out on the chance to compete for the green jacket.