Wow! Rickie Fowler wins the 2015 Players Championship in style. He finished regulation play 6 under par and that last 6 holes and finished 12 under par after 72 holes...amazing. Then Sergio Garcia and Kevin Kisner completed the event at 12 under par nearly and hour behind Fowler. The golfers then had to contend for the championship in an aggregate score playoff of three holes...16, 17 and 18. After the three holes Fowler and Kisner were 1 under par and Sergio was eliminated. The two remaining golfers walked to the epic 17th hole for sudden death playoff. Kisner hits his shot just outside of 12 feet. Rickie then hit his shot and sticking it to inside of 5 feet. Kisner missed his birdie putt and Fowler made his putt with a firm and confident stroke. On the final day Fowler birdied the infamous 17th hole 3 times...once on regulation and twice in the playoff. Again amazing.
So are we shocked that Rickie Fowler won a tournament? Are you wondering why he hasn't more often? Well evidently many of his peers on tour think so. A survey of Tour players earlier in the week asked who the most overrated golfers were on tour...25% said Rickie Fowler and Ian Poulter. WOW...really? OK, sure he had only won 1 time in his short career, but he is a money making machine on tour. He has made Ryder Cups and President Cup teams. He is only 1 of 3 golfers in history...that's all of modern golf's history...that have finished in the top 5 of all four majors in a single season. The other two are Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods...HMMM. That means NONE of the golfers who rated Rickie as overrated have even come close to that feat.
What does being overrated mean? Does that mean that a lot of people say you are good but you aren't really that good? What's the standard that is being applied to determine if someone is overrated? If Fowler had won 3 times or won a major would he all of a sudden not be overrated? Is Rickie overrated because he has a great marketing team that has put him at the forefront of American golf? He is a golfer and business man...so I say good for him that his brand is so marketable and well known. If someone could clue us all in as to what really makes someone overrated at the age of 26. I guess a lot of his peers thought his true ability hadn't matched up to the hype that his phenomenal team has presented or that his millions of fans all want to see.
One last comment. Whoever conducts surveys that ask ridiculous and impossible questions that can never be truly measured are simply just trying to find controversy. I think Rickie said it best after the event when he was asked if the survey results had bothered or inspired him? He said; "I think the trophy right here answers anything you need to know."
So are we shocked that Rickie Fowler won a tournament? Are you wondering why he hasn't more often? Well evidently many of his peers on tour think so. A survey of Tour players earlier in the week asked who the most overrated golfers were on tour...25% said Rickie Fowler and Ian Poulter. WOW...really? OK, sure he had only won 1 time in his short career, but he is a money making machine on tour. He has made Ryder Cups and President Cup teams. He is only 1 of 3 golfers in history...that's all of modern golf's history...that have finished in the top 5 of all four majors in a single season. The other two are Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods...HMMM. That means NONE of the golfers who rated Rickie as overrated have even come close to that feat.
What does being overrated mean? Does that mean that a lot of people say you are good but you aren't really that good? What's the standard that is being applied to determine if someone is overrated? If Fowler had won 3 times or won a major would he all of a sudden not be overrated? Is Rickie overrated because he has a great marketing team that has put him at the forefront of American golf? He is a golfer and business man...so I say good for him that his brand is so marketable and well known. If someone could clue us all in as to what really makes someone overrated at the age of 26. I guess a lot of his peers thought his true ability hadn't matched up to the hype that his phenomenal team has presented or that his millions of fans all want to see.
One last comment. Whoever conducts surveys that ask ridiculous and impossible questions that can never be truly measured are simply just trying to find controversy. I think Rickie said it best after the event when he was asked if the survey results had bothered or inspired him? He said; "I think the trophy right here answers anything you need to know."