Rickie Fowler opened his 2026 American Express campaign with rounds of 5-under 67 and 9-under 63. But what’s the secret behind his strong performance? 

According to Fowler, his strong performance reflects the work he put in during the off-season.

“Some of it was just trying to pick up from the golf that we were playing through the summer,” the 37-year-old said in the post-round interview. 

“I was able to get some time off and do some kind of rest and rehab on my shoulder that was kind of, it was bothering me all year. So to be in a position I'm not having to take any pain meds to take the edge off, that's been a bonus.”

His three top-ten finishes last season were concerning, but a big part of that came from his injuries. Last year in November, he also revealed shoulder issues coming from an old 2018 injury where he had an injury on his right oblique. It kept him away from golf for nearly two-and-a-half months. But that's not all.

Fowler has been facing trouble due to his lingering back and hip pain. An MRI revealed a disc problem that required microdiscectomy in late 2025. And that has necessitated significant rest and rehabilitation. 

“Yeah, didn't work on, I would say, a whole lot, just because I thought the game was in a good spot,” he continued. “We're always trying to get better, so it was trying to tighten some things up. But a big part of it was the rest and making sure that the body was good to go.”

But while he fought his injuries and landed in the 6th position, 18-year-old Blades Brown rocketed to the top of the leaderboard. The performance prompted a reaction from Fowler.

Rickie Fowler Reacts to Blades Brown’s Performance

As the brief post-round interview proceeded, the interviewer pointed out that Brown scored a 12-under. Fowler was also a young phenom back in 2009, as a 20-year-old. And by 2010, he earned the Rookie of the Year title and claimed his first PGA Tour win. So, what did Rickie Fowler have to say about the teenage golfer?

“I've been around him a little bit. Haven't spent much time, haven't played with him yet. Obviously he's a great player. Yeah, soak it up, have fun. It goes by pretty quickly... I love seeing good golf, especially someone like him, young. It's very beneficial to play well early and kind of build that confidence and momentum.”

Fowler’s comments reflected a perspective shaped by longevity. But can this perspective bring him more success in the later rounds of AmEx?

Written by

Krushna Pattnaik

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar