Rickie Fowler: Voted Overrated? Come On

[redseat]

I don't buy that one bit. I think players are just pissed because he is so popular!

Rickie Fowler not concerned about overrated poll this week at the Players Championship

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- Rickie Fowler was casually thumbing his way through Twitter recently, scrolling aimlessly, when he came across his own name. It was posted in regard to a Sports Illustrated player poll in which he shared the dubious distinction of being voted the PGA Tour's most overrated pro.

He didn't smash his phone against the nearest wall in reaction. Didn't vow vengeance against his peers. Didn't type a snarky response and press the send button.

"I laughed," said Fowler, who shot an opening-round 69 at the Players Championship on Thursday. "I thought it was funny."

As it turns out, Fowler was in the minority. Most others tweeting about the poll have very earnestly either come to his defense or supported the anonymous opinion of his fellow players -- and there hasn't been much in between.

 

[redseat]

and no I did not start this thread because he is leading... I have heard about it this weekend and this was the first time I could get online. Hass is gonna make it very dificult though... he I am pretty sure will make that eagle to tie

 

[redseat]

but missed... wow

 

[packerzrule]

Atta boy Rickie. Way to shut up your critics.

What a tremendous showing today. Congrats.

 

[redseat]

Hell yeah! Heck he birdied the 17th hole how many times? So impressive!

 

[R.J. MacReady]

The timing could have been better. With Spieth winning the Masters, it really did highlight Rickie's lack of accompaniments. I have to think that where this "overrated" tag came from.

With Rickie, Spieth and Rory all playing at the top of their game ...it's going to be a good summer.

 

[gohusk]

I think the thing with the polls is:

1. These aren't unsolicited opinions. They have to vote for someone if they're going to partake, so it's silly to say "Oh my god, they think that???" You could have just of easily said Jason Day and he'd be the one laughing it off right now.

2. Yeah, his marketability hasn't been in line with his accomplishments on the course. I could see some of the other guys being a little bitter about that.

But it was good to finally see him put together the string of holes in a final round that you have to if you're going to win the big one. He absolutely torched it.

 

[cezero]

2 pga wins in 4 years

his press compared to people with better results is what irks a lot of pros, understandably

congrats to him on the win today. i'm a fan.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

I think this was blown way out of proportion by the media...on course...your scores don't lie. Money list, Fed Ex Pts, RC team, OWGR all support Fowler's play. the PGAT Players know this better than anyone.

But...when you look off course...Fowler's popularity is way bigger than his on course success (in terms of wins) would suggest...that's all the players were pointing out and that part was true....rarely do 1 PGAT win players rake in as much as Rickie has off the course.

That said, he had hit a wall kinda prior to going to Butch...the swing change is complete, he's longer, playing with a lot more confidence...yesterday was outstanding.

Congrats.

 

[R.J. MacReady]

The timing could have been better. With Spieth winning the Masters, it really did highlight Rickie's lack of accompaniments. I have to think that where this "overrated" tag came from.

With Rickie, Spieth and Rory all playing at the top of their game ...it's going to be a good summer.

Correcting myself "Could have not been better"

 

[Broncosballer32]

When you are talking about players on the PGA tour, you are talking about pure ego. Alpha males if you will, and they all get pretty envious over the marketability in relation to wins with Rickie Fowler. They see girls thinking he is "so cute" with his Johnny Depp look.

Hence, you get players stating that he is "overrated."

Fowler finished in the top 5 in all of the majors last year. That, is no mistake and that is as impressive if you won ONE and did not finish in the top in the rest.

What he did yesterday will be talked about for decades. Then to go out and win it and stick shots after what he did on 17? Unreal. Good kid, and great player.

The real question I think some have is why wasn't he wearing his Sunday Oklahoma State orange that he usually wears?

 

[GenJac]

Okay, what a finish. All three players showed guts down the stretch, but Rickie was awesome on the back nine. Those that are saying people were stupid for voting him most over rated are wrong though. He has huge endorsement contracts and before today had 1 win on tour. There were, and maybe still are, quite a few players with more wins on tour than Rickie that many people don't follow. His buddy Ben Crane for one, Nick Watney, Hunter Mahan. This was a big win for him, and hope to see more.

 

[Broncosballer32]

Okay, what a finish. All three players showed guts down the stretch, but Rickie was awesome on the back nine. Those that are saying people were stupid for voting him most over rated are wrong though. He has huge endorsement contracts and before today had 1 win on tour. There were, and maybe still are, quite a few players with more wins on tour than Rickie that many people don't follow. His buddy Ben Crane for one, Nick Watney, Hunter Mahan. This was a big win for him, and hope to see more.

You think him being ranked 13th in the world in ranking was just given to him? Name how many golfers finished in the top 5 in all 4 majors in the same year over the last 30 years.

I get it, people think WINS is the end all and be all for golf.

To me, that is a load of shit. If you understood the week to week grind for the pro golfers on tour you would have a profound respect for anyone that finishes in the top 10 in a tournament. Let alone in the top 5.

In golf, more so than any other sport, luck is a real factor. The average margin of victory in tournaments is about 1.5 strokes. 1.5. Think about that. You do not know where that 1.5 came from. A gust of wind, a bad bounce. A bad or good draw on Thursday when the wind was not quite as bad and it meant better scoring conditions.

Let me put it another way. I am more impressed with Nicklaus's 37 top 2s than the 18 wins in majors. Yes, he finished runner up 19 times, along with his 18 wins. I am that much more impressed with his 57 top 5s.

He is far from overrated. Ben Crane and Nick Watney? Watney in 2013-2014 finished in the 10 twice in those two seasons, and he plummeted out of the top 100. Ben Crane is ranked 193rd. Ok?

Give me a break. Last year and this year has been great and most golfers would take that in second.

 

[GenJac]

You think him being ranked 13th in the world in ranking was just given to him?

No, I don't nor did I suggest anything of the sort.

 

[RaiderZar]

I like Natalie Gulbis!

 

[ATL96Steeler]

When you are talking about players on the PGA tour, you are talking about pure ego. Alpha males if you will, and they all get pretty envious over the marketability in relation to wins with Rickie Fowler. They see girls thinking he is "so cute" with his Johnny Depp look.

Hence, you get players stating that he is "overrated."

Fowler finished in the top 5 in all of the majors last year. That, is no mistake and that is as impressive if you won ONE and did not finish in the top in the rest.

What he did yesterday will be talked about for decades. Then to go out and win it and stick shots after what he did on 17? Unreal. Good kid, and great player.

The real question I think some have is why wasn't he wearing his Sunday Oklahoma State orange that he usually wears?

I think it was strictly due to his off the course earning power.

In bold...it would show more consistency, but there is a huge difference in winning one major and not being in the top 20 in the other 3 vs top 5 in all 4. The expectation level leaps drastically, and the notoriety increases 5 fold.

That said...I've never seen a golf finish like Fowler put on yesterday...period.

 

[mrwallace2ku]

Over-rated? Obviously not on the golf course, but I would need to see a frontal picture of his girlfriend I saw in the jorts yesterday waiting for him as he left the 18th green with a 2 shot lead.

Damn NBC cameras only showed a behind shot of her.

 

[Broncosballer32]

Over-rated? Obviously not on the golf course, but I would need to see a frontal picture of his girlfriend I saw in the jorts yesterday waiting for him as he left the 18th green with a 2 shot lead.

Damn NBC cameras only showed a behind shot of her.

I think this is her. Personally, I tend to like shots from behind better of most hotties.

Here you go....

Alexandra Browne

 

[ATL96Steeler]

You think him being ranked 13th in the world in ranking was just given to him? Name how many golfers finished in the top 5 in all 4 majors in the same year over the last 30 years.

I get it, people think WINS is the end all and be all for golf.

To me, that is a load of shit. If you understood the week to week grind for the pro golfers on tour you would have a profound respect for anyone that finishes in the top 10 in a tournament. Let alone in the top 5.

In golf, more so than any other sport, luck is a real factor. The average margin of victory in tournaments is about 1.5 strokes. 1.5. Think about that. You do not know where that 1.5 came from. A gust of wind, a bad bounce. A bad or good draw on Thursday when the wind was not quite as bad and it meant better scoring conditions.

Let me put it another way. I am more impressed with Nicklaus's 37 top 2s than the 18 wins in majors. Yes, he finished runner up 19 times, along with his 18 wins. I am that much more impressed with his 57 top 5s.

He is far from overrated. Ben Crane and Nick Watney? Watney in 2013-2014 finished in the 10 twice in those two seasons, and he plummeted out of the top 100. Ben Crane is ranked 193rd. Ok?

Give me a break. Last year and this year has been great and most golfers would take that in second.

I respect your opinion on this but I look at this a little differently.

All of the PGAT players can flatout play golf...even the 200th ranked player in the world will come on my home course and lap the best player in the clubhouse.

Top 10, top 20s are huge accomplishments in a 144 man field...PGAT golf has become a launching pad for money earned off the course...the superstar players all earn double to triple their on course earnings. To reach that level, winning matters a great deal.

The money on tour is so good now that players like Brett Quigley can live lavishly without ever winning a tourney.

Where I agree winning doesn't totally define your career.

Player A plays 10 yrs on tour and routinely racks up 5 top 10s but never gets a win, is a far better player than player B that wins twice in 10 yrs and has trouble keeping his card once the exemption is up.

Nicklaus...yes and no...impressive, but I think you must have seen the event...a player can make a strong run on Sunday and post a top 10 or even a top 5 and never really be in contention...20 years later a top 5 looks great, but we forget how they got there sometimes.

I think it was Els that finished 2nd to Tiger in 3 consecutive majors, but he was never in the hunt on any of them.

 

[Broncosballer32]

I respect your opinion on this but I look at this a little differently.

All of the PGAT players can flatout play golf...even the 200th ranked player in the world will come on my home course and lap the best player in the clubhouse.

Top 10, top 20s are huge accomplishments in a 144 man field...PGAT golf has become a launching pad for money earned off the course...the superstar players all earn double to triple their on course earnings. To reach that level, winning matters a great deal.

The money on tour is so good now that players like Brett Quigley can live lavishly without ever winning a tourney.

Where I agree winning doesn't totally define your career.

Player A plays 10 yrs on tour and routinely racks up 5 top 10s but never gets a win, is a far better player than player B that wins twice in 10 yrs and has trouble keeping his card once the exemption is up.

Nicklaus...yes and no...impressive, but I think you must have seen the event...a player can make a strong run on Sunday and post a top 10 or even a top 5 and never really be in contention...20 years later a top 5 looks great, but we forget how they got there sometimes.

I think it was Els that finished 2nd to Tiger in 3 consecutive majors, but he was never in the hunt on any of them.

Tiger's run was an outlier run and never really seen before. Being that he won those majors much like Secretariat in the Belmont. Most of the time the margin of victory is far closer.

Yeah, of course if you make the tour (any tour) you have real ability. If you play regularly or belong to a club, every club has a guy that plays great. I belong to golf club down here in Florida North Palm Beach Country Club. There is a guy that works there, that "almost" made it past the first stage of US Open qualifier. He shot a 70 on Friday, and that was one shot out of what he needed to make it past that stage.

He played briefly on the Canadian Tour and he holds the club record where he shot a 63. BTW, this club (it is public) gets a lot of guys playing on it. Slope of 140 from the tips and it is over 7000 yards. Mark Calcavecchia still plays out there. BTW, on a side note John Stallworth plays out there from time to time. I have met him several times, and he is a great guy.

Anway, the point is every club has a guy like I mentioned. Yet, as good they all are, they do not have the skill to make it to the PGA tour. So, yeah if you are in the top 200 and play on tour you are outstanding.

However, when you are talking about top 13 you are at a different level. If you finish in the top 5 in all majors in a year, you have accomplished a lot. As I said, the players are jealy about his marketing success. They are irritated by his popularity. It is that simple. The guy can flat out play and he proven it before yesterday.

Unfortunately for him, we live in a world that by and large does not adequately appreciate what it means to finish in the top 10 in any tournament let alone top 5 in all four majors.

BTW, like you mention about the amount of money they make, remember when Hunter Mahan left that tournament on a Saturday when he was leading to go be with his wife who was in labor? Now, most women I know would not have been happy with him. Think about it. Walking away from a potential 7 figure check to go be with your wife giving birth. Now, imagine if they did not have bank and he walked away from that. Any woman you know that would have been happy with that decision. I mean what are you doing at the hospital anyway, other than getting in the way? At the very least, I would think being across the street at the local bar with the fellas and cigars would be a better place to be.

Anyway, you get the point.