GREENSBORO, N.C. – Rickie Fowler called it a “little kick in the butt.” That’s because the popular PGA TOUR veteran will miss the FedExCup Playoffs this year after making an early exit on Friday at the Wyndham Championship. Fowler came to Sedgefield Country Club ranked 130th in the standings but ended up going backwards after rounds of 71 and 72. It’s the first time in Fowler’s 12-year TOUR career that he won’t finish inside the top 125. “It’s a bummer and I don’t want to be in this position,” Fowler said. “Never been here. I’m used to being in contention, ready to go to East Lake and go have some fun through the Playoffs. That’s not the case this year. … Go home and get ready to go. Put the work in and get after it.” With the exception of the news that he and his wife Allison are expecting their first child, a daughter, in November, it’s been an eminently forgettable year for Fowler. He’s only had one top-10 finish in 24 starts this season, and this is his ninth missed cut. Fowler, who was once firmly entrenched among the top-10 players in the world, has slipped from 38th to No. 110 and finds himself searching for regain his form. “Yeah, it sucks,” Fowler said. “I mean, I know what I’m capable of; I’ve been up there and played against the best in the world and been a top-5, top-10 player in the world for a number of years in my career. “I’m not in a position where I’m comfortable or where I want to be. … With the season ending now for me, it’s kind of just added motivation; hey, let’s figure out what we need to go do and let’s go do it.” A tie for eighth at the PGA Championship appeared to be a positive step, and Fowler followed that with a share of 11th at the Memorial Tournament. He came to Greensboro with some momentum, too, on the heels of three straight made cuts. “It’s not far off, but there’s a lack of confidence there after not having played well very much over the last two years, so part of it is just need to get that built back up,” Fowler said. “A big part of it, too, is the reason I had some of those good results is my ball-striking was a little bit better, but the putter finally got back to where it should be. “That’s been something I’ve been able to rely on throughout my career and growing up is I’ve always been a really good putter. Over the last couple years I haven’t been able to rely on that. Not that I should have to every week, but when I’m putting well, should be in contention and having chances to win tournaments. So having off ball-striking weeks and not making putts on top of that, miss cuts and go home early.” Fowler ranked 131st in Strokes Gained: Putting entering the Wyndham Championship. Fowler says missing the Playoffs has made him even more determined to regain the kind of form that landed him on three Presidents Cup and four Ryder Cup teams, as well as in the 2016 Olympic Games. The first step, he says, is a call with his team to figure out how to best use the three-week layoff during the Playoffs to his advantage. “I was telling (caddie) Joe (Skovron) out there today towards the end, obviously weren’t going to make the cut, so it was a little bit more like I operate best when I’m kind of told what to do,” Fowler said. “Like I love having my trainer, Derek, he’s there with us at home, on the road taking care of what I need to be doing in the gym. … If I had to go work out on my own, I probably wouldn’t do as well. “So just being efficient with time and taking advantage of the time that we do have, whether it’s in the gym, at the range, on the course. So that’s the big thing is just kind of lay out a plan that we all want to accomplish and take advantage of the time that we have and get after it.”
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