Despite heavy rumours linking Rickie Fowler with the Saudi-backed LIV Tour, the popular American star stayed loyal to the PGA Tour.
Rickie Fowler was very straightforward in his explanation for choosing not to join the profitable LIV Golf League.
During episode two of the popular golf show Full Swing on Netflix, Fowler, who is 35 years old, talked about his quest to win his first major championship at the 2023 U.S. Open.
The famous American golfer has been associated with the Saudi-backed league multiple times, but he emphasized that his main focus was always on competing weekly against top players worldwide, and the best platform for that was the PGA Tour.
The six-time PGA Tour winner told the show:
“I’m not out there playing for a pay cheque, I’m out there playing to compete with the best players in the world and I believe the Tour is the best place to be. I’d like to see it continue to be like that.”
Earlier in the year, Fowler addressed rumours surrounding his future and a potential move to LIV when speaking to Golfweek and sighted the efforts of Jordan Spieth, Tiger Woods, and Patrick Cantlay as a key factor in his decision to remain on the PGA Tour.
He said:
“These guys are pouring a lot of time and effort into it.
“I was on the PAC [Player Advisory Council] last year but have tried to stay out of the way because the guys that are in there, I trust. With Jordan, Cantlay, Tiger and the other guys, I’ve just trusted that we’re all going to end up in a good spot and I have zero plans to go anywhere.”
Fowler has never publicly criticized the LIV league, but he recently mentioned his opinion that if a merger were to occur between the Saudi Public Investment Fund and the PGA Tour, defectors should not have a simple path back to the American circuit.
His opinion is similar to Justin Thomas and Scottie Scheffler, but differs from former critic Rory McIlroy, who now believes it would be difficult to penalize players who want to rejoin the league after changing his mind about the breakaway league.
“Addressing the possibility of LIV golfers making a comeback, Fowler commented:”
I’m probably not in the same spot that Rory — maybe we started in a similar area, but I think there’s been a little rollercoaster ride on his part.
“As far as decisions to go elsewhere and just [be] welcome[d] back, I don’t think it’s a direct road.
“I mean, they made decisions and there’s — there has to be something for it.
“Whether how small or big, that’s not up to me.”