Rickie Fowler returns to Rocket Mortgage Classic as reigning champion in need of another resurgent effort

Fowler's season has not gone to plan following a resurgent 2023

Rickie Fowler stepped in front of the PGA Tour's cameras as the season opened in early January at The Sentry. He was asked a simple question: What word would you use to define your 2024? The fan favorite wrote "validate" on the whiteboard given he was coming off a resurgent 2023 season that included contention in major championships, Ryder Cup participation and a return to the winner's circle after four long years.

"'Validate' because, coming off of some tough years and then having a pretty solid last year, I want to keep that going," Fowler said in Kapalua. "So, it's like getting a skin. Sometimes, you're playing with buddies, you got to validate the next hole. So, this year's the next hole, and we got to validate."

Fast forward to this week as Fowler returns to the Rocket Mortgage Classic where he serves as the reigning champion still looking to validate that success from a season ago. Coming into the week as the lowest-ranked player in the FedEx Cup standings among those who qualified for this year's signature events (No. 91), the six-time PGA Tour winner is in need of a sizzling summer stretch if he hopes to be part of those fields again in 2025.