How Butch Harmon helped Rickie fowler find his groove

In January at the Farmers Insurance Open, I told Ricki Fowler, that Butch Harmon, his instructor, had said to me at the PGA Merchandise Show that his star-crossed student, who was winless for almost four years and returned to his old instructor only months earlier, would end his streak this year.

Fowler smiled and asked, “Did you hear him say what week?”

Butch was correct once again. Fowler’s record-breaking 62 at the U.S. Open two weeks earlier, or his 60 in the third round of the travelers championship, where he couldn’t match the eventual winner Keegan Bradly, was not the case. Fowler won the Rocket Mortgage Classic on Sunday after birdying the 72 ^and holes to enter a three-man play off.

Fowler, who won his sixth PGA Tour title after a playoff victory over Adam Hadwin and Collin Morikawa, said at his winner’s conference: “He’s the greatest golf coach there is.” He does an excellent job working with players. He takes what they’ve got and makes them the best they can be, with their strengths and weaknesses.

Fowler learned his flat, looping golf swing under the tutelage of Barry McDonnell at Murrieta Valley Golf Range, Murrieta in California. McDonnell passed away in June 2011, at the age of 75, from complications relating to a heartattack. Fowler went two years without having a coach. In December 2013, Fowler met Harmon for the very first time to try and improve his performance at the four majors. Fowler’s retooled swing helped him finish in the top five in all major championships of golf that year. He reached No. 1 in the world and won the 2015 Players Championship. He reached No. 4 in the World but has never won a major.

Harmon’s willingness to tell it like it is has been a valuable resource for top professionals over the years. Over the years, Harmon had many students under his tutelage. The last thing they needed was another yes-man. Harmon revealed in 2017 that he had given Fowler a lot of tough love on Sky TV where he was an analyst.

Harmon remembered that “and he didn’t like it.” “I told him, ‘You’ve got to decide if you want to be the next Kardashian or a golf professional.”

You need to grab your ears, get your head back out of the you-know-what and go to work.

Harmon stayed in Fowler’s corner until he retired in 2019. He was no longer a regular at PGA Tour tournaments.

Fowler told the Sunday Times that “our split was due to him stopping traveling and things not working for a few years.”

Fowler began working with John Tillery who was a great instructor for Fowler’s good friend Kevin Kisner. Fowler is always at great lengths to thank Tillery for the many lessons he learned over the years, but the partnership failed to bear fruit.

Fowler was unable to finish in the top 10 of 29 consecutive tournaments, and his ranking fell from 185 ^{to 185}. He also rarely qualified for any major championships. Fowler’s ball-striking statistics dropped outside the top 100, and spending so much time re-tooling the swing resulted in an unintended consequence. His trusty putting stroke started misbehaving such that he fell out of the top 160 by 2022.

Fowler did well to keep his head down, and just soldiered through. Fowler signed every autograph he could and answered all media questions, wondering when his slump would end.

Max Homa stated, “He has stayed the same Rickie.” “I think that some people, when they have gone through it, become like a shell and go through mental torture while playing golf.”

Harmon’s fans may have had the hardest time coping with Fowler’s performance dip.

Harmon said to Golf Digest that it was painful to watch Rickie go through his bas stretch. “I knew he was good, but his golf swing wasn’t working. He lost confidence after a time. He never changed as a man, always signing autographs and donating his time. “If the world were full of Rickie’s Fowlers it would be a very interesting place.”

Fowler and Tillery parted company in the fall, and Fowler reconnected Harmon. Fowler’s results were immediate. He finished T-6 in the Fortinet Championship, in September. In October, he held the 54 hole lead at the Zozo Championship before slipping in the final round.

CBS lead analyst Trevor Immelman, who lives in Las Vegas and teaches there, spent two days with Fowler, Harmon, and Butch during the Shriners’ Children’s Open. Butch explained the changes to Immelman. He was very impressed with what they were doing and could see the changes slowly taking place on the course.

Immelman replied, “Which was the last obstacle.” It took some time to untangle the knot.

Fowler told the U.S. Open that “Butch’s voice is wonderful, and it’s great to have him by your side.” “Just telling something to give you some confidence to just play golf and keep things simple,” said Fowler during the U.S. Open.

It’s easy to say but hard to do. Fowler has made impressive progress in almost every statistic category. He is now back in the top 50 of the world. He jumped up to No. After the win, he jumped to No. Fowler, older and wiser is married with a daughter named Maya. He is still a favorite of corporate America, but his “Kardashian” days are over.

It’s been a long, hard time. Fowler stated that it was a lot more difficult than he would have liked to be in the situation. It’s worth it to have gone through it and be back where we are today.