Top 100 players to watch in 2011: No. 8 Rickie Fowler

text size

MORE TOP 100 PLAYERS: CLICK FOR Player No. 7 | BACK TO Player No. 9 | Top 100 archive

Rookies as electrifying as Rickie Fowler simply don't come along that often. He has a maturity beyond his years -- both on and off the golf course -- and the talented Oklahoma State product figures to be a fixture on the PGA TOUR for years to come.

Outside the Ropes Rickie Fowler profile Fowler's Kodak Challenge move

First things first, though. What will the 22-year-old with a penchant for wearing orange on Sundays do for an encore? He did everything but win in 2010 -- finishing second twice and closing out a $2.8 million campaign with two top-four finishes in his last three starts on TOUR. Not to mention, Fowler had a chance to win the Kodak Challenge and was part of an unprecedented three-man playoff to decide the winner of the $1 million bonus after he tied for third in the season-ending Children's Miracle Network Classic.

Then there was the Ryder Cup. Fowler was one of Corey Pavin's Captain's Picks, and he came from four down to halve his Singles match with Edoardo Molinari. Think U.S. Presidents Cup Captain Fred Couples didn't take notice? Fowler will also be making his first appearance at the Masters -- the course he says he most wants to play -- after finishing 22nd on the PGA TOUR money list.

It's time to win.

Heads and shoulders above his peers at every level over the years, his rookie campaign was no surprise. However, without a victory, it was partially unfulfilled. Winning on the PGA TOUR involves a combination of factors, and part of it requires just showing up. He played in healthy 28 events in 2009, including the finale at Disney (solely to make a run at the Kodak Challenge). A number north of 25 in 2011 would be icing.

Here's how Rickie Fowler has ranked in three key categories in the last five years

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010*         32nd         22nd       249th 25th

* - end of 2010 PGA TOUR season

HOW THE RATINGS ARE COMPILED
Power Rating: An aggregate score based on several Off the Tee statistics used to measure a player's performance off the tee. The statistics used to compute this are: Driving Distance, Percentage of Drives over 300 yards and Percentage of Drives over 320 yards.
Accuracy Rating: An aggregate score based on several Off the Tee and Approach the Green statistics used to measure a player's overall accuracy from tee to green. The statistics used to compute this are: Driving Accuracy, GIR over 100 yards and Proximity to Hole over 100 yards.
Short Game Rating: An aggregate score based on several Around the Green statistics used to measure a player's performance 100 yards and in (not including putting). The statistics used to compute this are: Scrambling, Proximity to the Hole (PTH) from sand, PTH from Rough, PTH from fringe, PTH from less than 100 yards and Greens in Regulation from less than 100 yards.
Putting Rating: An aggregate score based on several Putting statistics used to measure a player's performance on the green. The statistics used to compute this are: Putting Average, Putting inside 5 feet, Putting from 5-15 feet, Putting from 15-25 feet, Average distance of putts made and 3-putt avoidance over 25 feet.
Scoring Rating: Score used to measure a player's performance on scoring. The statistic used to compute this is Scoring Average.