Can Fowler Join the Elite in 2016?

2015 may well be remembered as the year when a new ‘Big Three’ of golf established themselves. With Tiger Woods declining and Phil Mickelson coming to the end of his career, there may have been worries that golf no longer had a big name to pin-up the sport. However, with Rory McIlroy maintaining his high standards and showing he can emulate Tiger Woods as the face of golf, and Jordan Spieth and Jason Day winning their first Majors this year, and it seems as though golf has a bright future.

And despite the three players under thirty looking they can dominate golf for the next decade, there is a fourth player who has emerged from the new generation of golfers who could put themselves among the elite in 2016.

Back before the emergence of Spieth, it was Rickie Fowler who many though would be the next American golfer to dominate the sport. 2014 saw Fowler finish in the top five of all four Major tournaments. These included runner-ups spots at both the US Open and The Open. Although it was McIlroy who stole the headlines with two Major wins, Fowler was praised for his consistency and was tipped to break his Major duck in 2015.

However, Fowler has struggled for form in the big tournaments this year. He has enjoyed success on the PGA Tour, winning the Player’s Championship and the Deutsche Bank Open, but his performance in the Majors has been disappointing. His best effort came in the first Major of the year at The Masters, where he finished twelfth. However, he then missed the cut at the US Open before only just coming in the top thirty at The Open and the PGA Championship.

While this year has been a setback for the 26-year-old, he may enjoy being the shadow of the three players at the top of the rankings. Much was expected of Fowler this year and it may be that the pressure of having so much expectation on him ultimately affected his performance.

2015 will be remembered as the year when Jason Day and Jordan Spieth elevated themselves to the top of golf’s rankings. 2016 may be remembered for the emergence of another young player, and Fowler will be keen to return to his form of 2014 to add his own name to the record books and be ranked amongst the elite.