Long considered one of golf’s rising stars, Rickie Fowler is now 107 starts into his PGA Tour career and his win at the 2012 Wells Fargo Championship remains his lone PGA Tour triumph. As he looks to return to the winner’s circle in 2014, Fowler will start the new year under the tutelage of a rather well-known swing coach: Butch Harmon.
According to a report from Golf Channel insider Tim Rosaforte, Fowler and Harmon began working together last month, prior to Fowler’s T-8 finish at the Thailand Golf Championship.
“We’ve shared video (since then),” said Harmon. “He’s done good work to clean up things in the swing mechanically.”
Now 43rd in the latest world rankings, Fowler had a solid 2013 season despite not winning, as he notched 10 top-25 finishes and made 18 cuts in 22 starts with his best result coming at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, where he tied for third. Fowler, who has reportedly not employed a swing coach since his former instructor, Barry McConnell, died in May 2011, is set to make his first start of 2014 at next week’s Humana Challenge.
According to Harmon, the addition of Fowler to his roster of players was endorsed by his most notable client, Phil Mickelson.
“Phil said, ‘It’s awesome,’” he added. “We need Rickie Fowler to play good.”