5 Things Rickie Fowler Brings to Golf

I posed a question last week, after Rickie Fowler won the Wells Fargo Championship, asking if people thought Fowler was here to stay or not at the top of the PGA Tour.  One week later, I think we are a little bit closer to our answer after he posted a tied for 2nd finish at The PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass.  Rickie Fowler brings together attributes that we have seen scattered among Tour players, but rarely in one single player.  Here are five (well maybe just four) things that make Rickie Fowler vital to the future success of the PGA Tour.

           1. Signature Style
You would be hard pressed to find one single word to describe Fowler’s style. He’s Southern California 23 year old extreme sport athlete and boy band singer turned professional golfer, there are no single words for that. His Oklahoma State orange is shining brighter and brighter every Sunday. His signature Puma hats have been a hit in golf retail stores all over the country. He isn’t your father’s golfer, yet he’s taking over your father’s game.

2. Marketability
Since the day he earned his PGA Tour card in 2010, Fowler’s name has been talked about week in and week out.  His signature style leads into his marketability.  He’s not only young; he has that sort of teenage flare that the Tour has lacked.  The college generation now who grew up watching golf had Tiger Woods.  The teenage demographic is looking for someone to latch on to.  Granted, Rickie Fowler hasn’t had Tiger Woods-esque success, but only few have.  The man is only 23 years old; he has time to win a few majors.  His unique style makes him marketable for now, and his game will soon catch up (and that is no knock on his game).
Fowler is part of the Golf Boys, who made that charity music video.  He was in the PGA Tour’s These Guys are Good marketing campaign.  He is currently a walking Puma advertisement.  In the bag he uses a bunch of different brands of clubs including Cobra (Puma’s golf company), Adams, Titlelist, and Scotty Cameron (via his personal website).

3. Diverse Demographic
Many don't know that Fowler is part Japanese, part Navajo Indian underneath that Puma hat and SoCal hair.  Golf is typically considered a “white man’s” sport, but ethnically intriguing golfers do have a tendency to create some buzz on the Tour (ah hem, you know who).  Do I think that Fowler’s presence will singlehandedly increase the number of Japanese and Native American golfers on the Tour?  No, not at all, but it does hammer home the point that he’s different. 
Most importantly, he brings golf to the younger generations.  Sports Business Journal published the demographic information of the PGA Tour’s fan base last year, which showed only 14% of fans were between the ages of 18 and 29.  Fowler fits right in the middle of that demographic.  I don’t think there is any question that if Fowler’s success continues, that number will rise.  Also, he hits the 18 and under demographic perfectly.  If you don’t believe me, then you haven’t spent much time on golf courses lately.  His presence is obvious.  That demographic is vital to the long term success of the game. 

4. Skill
After all this talk about what Rickie Fowler brings off the course you must remember that he is no slouch on the course either.  We are talking about a player who was the top amateur in the world in 2007 and 2008.  After earning his Tour card in 2010, Fowler wasted no time at all winning the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year award.  His best finish at a major came in The Open Championship (British Open) in 2011 where he finished tied for 5th.  Fowler has been off to a blazing start in 2012 with his first career PGA Tour victory at the Wells Fargo Championship and a second place finish at this past weekend’s PLAYERS Championship.  He currently ranks in the top 25 in the World Golf Rankings (18).

5. One Talked About Mustache
Rickie Fowler may have the most talked about mustache on Tour (sorry Johnson Wagner).  He is nowhere near Rollie Fingers territory (right), probably closer to Derek Holland (bottom right), but that thing gets some serious press time.  Something tells me that the ‘stache is here to stay for a little while longer given his recent success, so only time will tell if he can bring it to the Aaron Rodgers level (bottom left).  Whatever the case may be, people are talking about Rickie Fowler.  See, I told you there are either 4 or 5 reasons depending on how you looked at it.

All jokes aside, Rickie Fowler represents a bright (and colorful) future for the PGA Tour.  He’s a young and already successful brand.  Now, as his game improves, he looks to be a contender week after week.  Ready or not, Rickie Fowler is here.

Agree?  Disagree?  Share your thoughts below.