Legendary swing coach Butch Harmon says seeing his student Rickie Fowler end a four-and-a-half year winless run at the Rocket Mortgage Classic on Sunday meant more to him than any other victory he’s overseen.
Harmon, who’s worked with the likes of Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson, has been credited with completely transforming the American’s swing with Fowler’s marked improvement illustrated by the Data Golf rankings where Fowler ranks sixth in the world this year.
Fowler’s world ranking had dipped as low as 185 last year but his return to form has coincided with his linking up with Harmon and now the 34-year old sits in 23rd on the Official World Golf Rankings after capturing his first PGA Tour title since the WM Phoenix Open in 2019.
“This win for Rickie probably means more to me personally than all the majors that I have had guys win that I’ve worked with,” Harmon told the Sky Sports Golf podcast having previously worked with Fowler prior to his lapse in form in 2019.
“From where he was, how down low he was not only in self-esteem but his game and his life, for him to come back the way he has come back means a lot to me. I’m so happy for him and his family.
“Rickie Fowler is good for the game of golf and he’s back folks, so get ready to really enjoy it.”
“He is the best golf coach out there,” Fowler said. “It’s more just the communication and talking and going back and him looking at videos, or what he sees on TV or stuff he can sees on TV or on the Tour app or whatever it may be.
“He does a great job with players, taking what they have and ultimately I think making them the best that they can be with who they are, how they swing and making what they do well that much better and bring up the weaknesses.”
Ireland’s own Paul McGinley certainly agrees, highlighting what he sees as a major oversight by the World Golf Hall of Fame who continue to overlook the work of Harmon as they compile their inductees each year.
“Rickie Fowler’s recent return to form, culminating in his great win today, is directly correlated to starting to work again with Butch Harmon – big congrats to both,” McGinley tweeted. “With so many years of success, Butch not being inducted into the Hall of Fame remains a mystery.”
As for the man himself, Harmon is just glad that Rickie Fowler is back, and that can only be good for the game of golf as a whole. As for what’s next, after moving inside the top-12 players on Team USA’s Ryder Cup rankings, Harmon has no doubt that the player famous for wearing orange on Sundays will line out in red, white and blue at Marco Simone Country Club this September as the Stars and Stripes look to retain the Cup.
“No doubt about it, he has got to be on that team,” Harmon declared. “No 1, everyone loves Rickie (Fowler) and No 2, you can pair him with anybody. Rickie is a perfect guy for the Ryder Cup and he will be in that team.”
It’s hard to argue with that.
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