Rickie Fowler is still one of the most popular golfers on the PGA Tour, but he has fallen from the top of the game in recent years.

The one-time phenom has not won a PGA Tour event since 2023 and failed to qualify for The Masters in April. However, he is back in the conversation with the best of the best this week at the Truist Championship.

Fowler got off to a scorching hot start, firing a 7-under 63 on Thursday to sit tied for third place after round one at The Philadelphia Cricket Club.

The current World No. 125 did not qualify for the PGA Championship, starting on May 15 at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte. Yet, he recently received a special exemption to play. As a result, Fowler will be in the field for his 16th consecutive PGA Championship, but some fans were unhappy with the decision given the state of his game.

Following his opening round, Fowler spoke about the motivation that he gets from negative comments surrounding his addition to the field for the second major of the season.

“The negative stuff, I would say, kind of helps me in a way because it fuels me to kind of go out and prove people wrong,” Fowler said. “I feel like there was something prior to 2015 PLAYERS saying I was the most overrated player, and that worked out all right that week.”

The California native is referring to the biggest title of his career at TPC Sawgrass back in 2015 when he beat Kevin Kisner and Sergio Garcia in a playoff that included an iconic shot into the island green on the 17th hole.

There is still a lot of golf to be played this week at the Truist, which is the final signature event before the PGA Championship gets going.

If Fowler can continue to play golf like he did on Thursday, he absolutely can be a factor on the weekend at the Truist. He recorded six birdies in his first seven holes during the first round before cooling off just a bit, making two birdies and a bogey on the second nine.

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