As we play a little thought experiment here, and pretend the top 100 rule was in place for next year, Daniel Berger would be the 100th and final guy to keep his Tour card.
Just missing out? That would be the popular Rickie Fowler.
Here is the list of golfers who finished in Nos. 101 to 125 after the 2024 season:
Name
Rank
Rickie Fowler
101
C.T. Pan
102
Vince Whaley
103
Michael Kim
104
K.H. Lee
105
Mac Meissner
106
Greyson Sigg
107
Nicolai Hojgaard
108
Matt Kuchar
109
Joe Highsmith
110
Brice Garnett
111
Chan Kim
112
Jacob Bridgeman
113
Matt McCarty
114
Ben Silverman
115
Chad Ramey
116
Nate Lashley
117
Ryan Fox
118
Chris Gotterup
119
Henrik Norlander
120
Alex Smalley
121
David Skinns
122
Sami Valimaki
123
Joel Dahmen
124
Sam Ryder
125
Clearly, keeping a Tour card will become more challenging next season, especially for those who don’t win an event, earning the coveted two-year exemption.
When they stood on the final tee box on Saturday, Nico Echavarria and Justin Thomas were knotted up at 15 under. However, when the final round of the 2024 Zozo Championship gets underway on Sunday — Saturday night in the United States thanks to the significant time difference — Echavarria will have a two-shot advantage.
The 30-year-old Columbian found the fairway on the par-5 closer and stuck his 241-yard second shot to two feet for a tap-in eagle. Thomas, on the other hand, missed a four-foot birdie putt that would have pulled him within a shot with 18 holes to play.
Although Echavarria has just one PGA Tour win compared to Thomas’ 15, his came more recently than the two-time major champion’s latest. The University of Arkansas product won the Puerto Rico Open last year while the world No. 32 hasn’t hoisted hardware since the ’22 PGA Championship.
“At the end of the day it has been a while, but I’ve still won a pretty good amount of golf tournaments,” Thomas said after signing his card. “I know how to win. It’s just a matter of executing and doing it and that’s really been the biggest difference.”
The winner in Japan will earn $1.53 million of the $8.5 million purse, 500 FedEx Cup points and a two-year exemption on Tour.
Here’s what you need to know from Day 3 at the Zozo Championship.
Can Echavarria hold off one of the best in the game?
Nico Echavarria of Colombia smiles on the 18th green during the third round of the Zozo Championship 2024 at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club on October 26, 2024 in Inzai, Chiba, Japan. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
Echavarria’s lone Tour win came at the Puerto Rico Open, an opposite field event to the Arnold Palmer Invitational. So holding off Thomas, one of the biggest names in the sport, will be a challenge he has yet to face. Only time will tell how he responds.
“Yeah, absolutely,” he replied when asked if his experience in Puerto Rico will help on Sunday. “Obviously this is a better field than the one in Puerto Rico, there’s better players out here, but a win is a win. I’m going to rely on that and keep doing what I’m doing, trying to have fun and see where we go.”
As for his round on Saturday, Echavarria was 1 over through four but quickly turned it around with four birdies over the last five holes of his front nine to make the turn with a 3-under 31. On the way home, he made a bogey and a birdie before his closing eagle to finish out his 5-under effort.
Over the final 18 holes, Echavarria is looking to keep it simple.
“Just stay in the moment. It’s a cliche, but it’s really important. You don’t want to go ahead with yourself, especially there’s a lot of hard holes out here. You just have to hit shot by shot and try to be in the fairway, try to hit the green and see if the putt goes in.”
Thomas hopes to break drought
Justin Thomas of the United States hits his tee shot on the 14th hole during the third round of the Zozo Championship 2024 at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club on October 26, 2024 in Inzai, Chiba, Japan. (Photo by Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images)
It’s not often we see one of the best players in the game go years without winning, but Thomas has struggled for most of the last two seasons. In fact, he’s won just twice since a three-win 2019-20 season: ’21 Players and ’22 PGA.
But he’ll have a chance to get back in the winner’s circle on Sunday thanks to a third-round bogey-free 5-under 65.
Unlike Echavarria, Thomas got off to a hot start with birdies on Nos. 1 and 2. After seven straight pars to close his opening nine holes, Thomas grabbed three more birdies on Nos. 10, 11 and 14.
His round might have ended in disappointing fashion, but he’s still well within striking distance with 18 holes to play.
“I would have obviously loved a couple more there coming in, but I played really, really solid, played really well,” he said. “You know, I just kind of feel like I did what I needed to do and got it around the course well. It’s nice to post a good score with it.”
What’s his key to victory?
“Honestly, although I’m behind, it’s still patience. Anything can happen out here. You have a lot of birdie holes that you can make bogey in a heartbeat if you get out of position or get in the wrong spot around the greens. I know that with greens this soft, any hole is birdiable. I think just because if I happen to be even through five, six, seven holes, that doesn’t mean I’m out of it, I just have to keep my head down and really just treat each hole for what it is and really try to make as many birdies as I can.”
Fowler ends his round with a bang
Rickie Fowler of the United States acknowledges the gallery after holing out with the birdie on the 18th green during the third round of the Zozo Championship 2024 at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club on October 26, 2024 in Inzai, Chiba, Japan. (Photo by Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images)
Fowler returned to the Tour earlier this month after an extended time away following the birth of his second child, but his game hasn’t shown many signs of rust.
In his first start since the Open, Fowler tied for 16th at the Sanderson Farms Championship. Two weeks later, the fan-favorite finished T-23 at the Shriners Children’s Open. And through 54 holes of the Zozo, Fowler is 11 under and in a tie for fourth.
On Saturday, Fowler made four birdies and two bogeys before closing his round in dramatic fashion with a 44-foot birdie putt after hitting his approach shot from the wrong fairway.
“I’m excited because I feel like I really haven’t had my best between Sanderson, Vegas and here the first three days,” he said. “I know I have a lot more in the tank and what I can do. Hopefully just clean a few things up. There’s been a lot of good signs, but over the past few events I just haven’t really put it all together. So I’m looking forward to getting out there and hopefully we can get a good one going.”
Fowler, who will start the final round six back of Echavarria, last won over a year ago at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
Top 10 and odds to win
Position
Player
Score
Odds to win
1st
Nico Echavarria
17 under
(+130)
2nd
Justin Thomas
15 under
(+140)
3rd
Max Greyserman
14 under
(+450)
T-4
Nate Lashley
11 under
(+7500)
T-4
Kevin Yu
11 under
(+5000)
T-4
Rickie Fowler
11 under
(+4500)
7th
Kurt Kitayama
10 under
(+6000)
T-8
Jhonattan Vegas
9 under
(+25000)
T-8
Andrew Novak
9 under
(+25000)
T-8
Eric Cole
9 under
(+25000)
T-8
C.T. Pan
9 under
(+30000)
[gambcom-standard rankid=”3413″ ]
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Thomas showed his talking head skills late Wednesday night – or was it early Thursday morning?
Some day – mark my words – Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas are going to be in the booth together doing commentary. It may be on some still-to-be created app or the next Netflix but give it 30 years and when those guys are finally done collecting baubles on the senior circuit (if there still is a senior circuit), they’re going to take TV commentary next level.
Thomas showed his talking head skills late Wednesday night – or was it early Thursday morning? The Golf Channel televised the Zozo Championship from 11 p.m.-3 a.m. ET and for those who stayed up for first round coverage, they were treated to Thomas joining the booth with the underrated jack-of-all-trades George Savaricas and former Tour pro Graham DeLaet, who has been cutting his teeth as an analyst for PGA Tour Live and is the go-to-guy for Canada’s TSN.
After shooting 4-under 66 at Narashino Golf Club, Thomas touched on a wealth of subjects. While showing the highlights of his round, Savaricus asked Thomas about his switch back to a mallet putter this week.
“It’s great, it’s Old Faithful. I’ve had a lot of success and won a lot of tournaments with this putter,” Thomas said. “It’s a familiar, familiar feeling.”
We learned that No. 11 is a hole he’ll take par and run and some other course strategy stuff that will be useful to know while enjoying the next three rounds. Then Thomas was asked about his struggles last year and how he’s bounced back and he gave some great insight into the mental game of a major champion and former world No. 1.
“This game is so hard and can really take so much out of you and beat you up some but you’re also never as far it seems,” he said. “Is it the chicken or the egg? Was I hitting it bad and not playing well because my mental game wasn’t good or was it vice-versa?”
He continued: “I always tell people that I’m sorry, but golf is my job and if I’m not playing good golf it’s pretty hard for me to be happy. I understand everyone has different outlooks, but it’s like you need to be out there and enjoy it, but it’s like, buddy, would you be happy if you were sucking at your job? So, no, I’m not going to be happy.”
Justin Thomas will soon be a dad
Before things got too deep for late-night TV and went off the rails, Savaricas lightened the mood by bringing up the fact that Thomas was about to be last member of the Spring Break club – following in the footsteps of Spieth, Smylie Kaufman and Rickie Fowler – to become a dad. Thomas and his wife, Jillian, are expecting their first child, a daughter, in November.
“On the flight home, once this tournament is over, it’s going to become pretty real for me,” admitted Thomas, who likely is making his last start for the foreseeable future.
When Savaricus asked which of the guys he’d be most likely to ask for some advice on doing diapers, Thomas cracked, “Next question.”
“I’d ask all of their wives,” he added.
“Well played,” Savaricus said.
So about Rickie Fowler’s hair
The camera cut to Fowler weighing his next shot and Savaricus did a splendid job of setting Thomas up for his best analysis of all.
“How about Rickie’s flow now? He’s really letting it go in back,” Savaricus noted.
Hey, at 2 a.m., this is the stuff the viewer has been waiting for, am I right?
“I’m not a real big ‘Mullet Rick’ fan,” Thomas said. “I like the short hair Rickie. It’s wild, he looks about 5-8 years younger when he has his hair short. He always has something – it’s the stache, it’s the hair – but it’s Rick, you know, you’ve got to love him for whatever it is.”
Rickie Fowler at the 2024 Zozo Championship at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club. (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
This segment with Thomas easily was the highlight of the late night-early morning coverage, and further proof that Thomas, who was great working with Charles Barkley and company on the broadcast of The Match, has a future behind the mic when he’s ready to hang up the spikes.
He even delivered one more line worthy of chuckles. As he signed off, DeLaet said what every man is supposed to say to a soon-to-be papa: “You’re going to be a great dad.”
“Aah,” Thomas said as if he was touched by the comment. “That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
Man’s best friend deserves a good home – and a good name.
Man’s best friend deserves a good home – and a good name.
It’s hard to top the cuteness level of naming stray pups Rickey Howler, Tiger Woofs and Doggie Pepper.
It just so happened that when a Good Samaritan rescued an emaciated dog and a pile of 10 puppies alone in the Missouri woods, it coincided with the September day of the fundraising golf tournament for the Stray Rescue of St. Louis. So, they decided why not name the dog and puppies after famous golfers.
In addition to coining plays on the names of Rickie Fowler, Tiger Woods and Dottie Pepper, they named the puppies Graeme McHowell, Betsy Jawls, Inbee Bark, Louise Puggs, Arnold Pawmer and Woofy Austin. The rescue also named the mom Mary, Queen of Scots, in recognition of her being the first recorded female golfer.
“The mom was so thin,” Cassady Caldwell, the CEO of the Stray Rescue of St. Louis, told People magazine. “She has literally given everything she has to keep her babies alive. Other than being covered head to toe in fleas, they were in good shape.”
Thankfully, this story has a happy ending as the Stray Rescue of St. Louis found a foster parent for Mary and all 10 of her puppies shortly after the group reached the facility.
Here’s wishing the best to Doggie Pepper, Inbee Bark and Woofy Austin.
The last player to win the same tournament three straight years on the PGA Tour is Steve Stricker in 2009-11.
This story has been updated to reflect Monday’s updated field announcement.
Tom Kim has a chance to join rare company in Sin City.
Only six golfers have ever done it, and next week at TPC Summerlin, Kim can become the seventh. That’s winning three straight PGA Tour events.
The PGA Tour remains out west in Las Vegas for the 2024 Shriners Children’s Open, the fourth of eight FedEx Cup Fall events, where Kim has won the past two events. The last player to win the same tournament three straight years on the PGA Tour is Steve Stricker in 2009-11.
In addition to Kim, Rickie Fowler is among the notables in the field.
The field for the 2024 Shriners Children’s Open was announced on Friday.
The fourth of eight tournaments in the 2024 FedExCup Fall continues next week at the Shriners Children's Open (October 17-20).
On Tuesday, Fowler commented on a new putter he is preparing to use this week.
Rickie Fowler is making his first appearance in a PGA Tour event since the 2024 British Open this week at the Sanderson Farms Championship in Jackson, Mississippi. As one of the field’s headliners, he spoke with the media on Tuesday.
After discussing the course and his plans to play a few more PGA Tour events in 2024, Fowler was asked about some new equipment that was spotted in his bag.
“Yeah, got a few things. From irons, they’re just a black version of the same Cobra King Tours that I was playing, just a different color. I thought they looked a little bit better. Put those straight in.”
The King Tour is a compact, forged iron with a thermoplastic insert in the back that softens feel and enhances sound. Fowler started using the standard chrome version in 2023, nearly winning the U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club with them before finally winding up in the winner’s circle at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
On Tuesday, Fowler commented on a new putter he is preparing to use this week.
“I had a little extra time to be able to do some more testing with a L.A.B. putter and saw a lot of good things from it. Like I said, liked what I’ve seen at home, so giving that a test run this week. Hopefully, we continue to see good things.”
L.A.B Golf DF3 putter (David Dusek/Golfweek)
The putter Fowler is using is a L.A.B. DF3. After you sole it behind the ball, the DF3’s weighting encourages the face of the putter to remain square to the arc you establish in the address position, creating what L.A.B. refers to as Lie Angle Balance.
Fowler also sounds like he is making a switch at the top of his bag too.
“Outside of that, added a mini driver from TaylorMade, so basically a replacement for 3-wood.” Fowler said. “Feel like it’s something very beneficial off the tee, especially at a golf course like this, so I’ve seen, again, a lot of good benefits from it.”
Mini drivers and extra-large 2-woods are gaining popularity among elite players who do not use their 3-wood off the turf and instead only use it off the tee. Tommy Fleetwood has been carrying a mini driver for a few seasons and last year Cameron Young and Max Homa also used a mini driver in several PGA Tour events.
“It was definitely a different feeling packing and getting ready to come here versus just going to another tournament.”
It has been a while since Rickie Fowler has played golf.
Three months ago and on a different continent, Fowler finished 71st in the Open Championship at Royal Troon. Since then, he hasn’t played any competitive golf, but he does have a new addition to his family.
He and wife Allison welcomed their second daughter, Nellie, in early August.
“I’ve definitely enjoyed being able to help out as much as possible, and going from one to two, you can kind of do the one together versus — obviously Allison is on top of all of Nellie’s stuff as well as Maya, but she can’t be in two places at once,” Fowler said.
One of the areas Fowler said he has stepped up in? The kitchen, where he said he has made a few good briskets recently.
“I feel like the cooking game went to another level,” Fowler said. “I felt like I was decent before, but my wife and I used to cook a lot together, and having a little one that she kind of had to be on duty at all times with, that put a lot more of the cooking duties on me.”
On the golf course, Fowler is setting up for a busy October. He will play three of the next four weeks, making stops at the Shriners Children’s Open and Zozo Championship in Japan later this month. But first, he’s playing the Sanderson Farms Championship, the second tournament of the PGA Tour’s eight-event fall schedule.
Fowler admitted he’ll try to shake off some rust, though he hopes there’s not too much to get rid of. The tournament wasn’t originally on Fowler’s schedule – he has never played at The Country Club of Jackson – but he decided to head to Mississippi thanks to the repertoire the course and tournament had earned from fellow PGA Tour players.
“I guess the last month and a half or so I’ve gotten back more into working on the game and getting ready to come here,” he said. “It was odd packing, back to life on the road. Typically traveling with the family, it made more sense to come solo.”
Last season wasn’t the best for Fowler. He missed out on the FedEx Cup Playoffs, and he sits 108th in the FedEx Cup standings. His status isn’t in the air for next year thanks to his victory at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in 2023, but that’s why he’s trying to find his groove heading into next year.
Part of that process is some new equipment in the bag. He’s testing out a DF3 putter from L.A.B., which is in the bag for the first time, as is a TaylorMade mini-driver, which is replacing his 3-wood.
“Ultimately we’re all trying to get better, as am I, and see if there’s little things we can piece together to continue to move forward,” Fowler said.
“The putter I’ve been doing some testing with for I guess almost two months now. I wouldn’t be putting something into play if I didn’t think there was a real potential benefit.”
Rickie Fowler swings his daughter, Maya, while walking to the No. 9 green with his wife, Allison Stokke Fowler, during the 2024 Masters Par 3 Contest at Augusta National Golf Club. (Photo: USA TODAY)
Fowler has enjoyed being home the last couple months and spending time with Allison and their new family of four. He said older daughter Maya has been great as a big sister, even when she does test the limits of what dad and mom let her get away with.
But golf never left his mind, and he’s ready to find his groove and start preparing for a strong 2025. That process begins Thursday.
“It feels good to have that time off, kind of refresh, rebuild a bit,” Fowler said. “Excited to come back out. It was definitely a different feeling packing and getting ready to come here versus just going to another tournament. It kind of feels a little bit like a fresh start.”
Fowler, who has dropped to No. 68 in the world, last played in a PGA Tour event at the British Open in July.
Rickie Fowler is ready to go back to work.
The 35-year-old Fowler, who along with wife Allison welcomed their second child, daughter Nellie, in August, signed up to play at next week’s Sanderson Farms Championship in Jackson, Mississippi, at The Country Club of Jackson. It marks the first time that Fowler has ever played in the event that hands out a trophy in the likeness of a rooster.
Fowler, who has dropped to No. 68 in the world, last played in a PGA Tour event at the British Open in July. He skipped the 3M Open and the Wyndham Championship while on baby watch, which meant he failed to finish in the top 70 and missed out on the FedEx Cup Playoffs. That extended his unofficial paternity leave into September. Fowler could’ve returned to action a few weeks ago at the Procore Championship, the first event of the FedEx Cup Fall schedule, but opted not to.
After a resurgent season in 2023, which included his sixth career Tour title, Fowler struggled this season, failing to record a single top-10 finish in 20 starts. He is exempt next season thanks to his victory at the 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic but at No. 110 in the FedEx Cup standings, he will have work to do in the FedEx Cup Fall to try to finish between Nos. 51 and 60 in the point standings to qualify for the signature events. Otherwise, he will have to rely on sponsor’s exemptions into the events with elevated purses, limited fields and several of which don’t have a cut.
Other notables in the event include Eric Cole and Nick Dunlap, the two players in the field who finished in the top 50 in the regular season point standings and already are exempt into the signature events next season. Past major winners in the field include Lucas Glover, Zach Johnson and Gary Woodland. Mackenzie Hughes (2022), a member of the International Team this week in the Presidents Cup, and Peter Malnati (2015), who won the Valspar Championship earlier this season, are among the Sanderson Farms past champions in the field.
The Sanderson Farms Championship gets underway on Oct. 3.
The Presidents Cup rookie is rocking a new look in Canada.
Min Woo Lee is donning the International Team black and gold for the first time at this week’s Presidents Cup, but it’s his haircut that has everyone talking heading into the biennial event at Royal Montreal Golf Club.
Let’s just say Rickie Fowler would be proud.
Lee, 26, has yet to win on the PGA Tour but totaled eight top-25 finishes in 18 starts this year, including a pair of runner-ups (Cognizant Classic and Rocket Mortgage Classic). The Aussie’s solid 2024 resume was good enough to earn one of Mike Weir’s captain’s picks, and the Internationals are hoping he can bring some youthful energy to the team.
“My family!! Right where I’m supposed to be. Welcome to the crew Nellie”
Whoa, Nellie!
Rickie Fowler and wife Allison welcomed baby No. 2 in a social media post on Saturday.
“My family!! Right where I’m supposed to be. Welcome to the crew Nellie,” Fowler wrote in an Instagram caption with a photo that included oldest daughter Maya.
Fowler, 35, announced that the couple was expecting after the Masters.
“Maya with shoes ready for her baby sister…we’re excited to be a foursome later this summer!” Fowler posted on Instagram. The accompanying photo showed him smiling with Allison and Maya in matching Masters white caddie jumpsuits.
Fowler, who entered the week at No. 104 in the FedEx Cup, sat out the 3M Open and this week’s Wyndham Championship to be on baby watch, which means he will also have at least three weeks off during the FedEx Cup Playoffs. Call it an unpaid paternity leave from the Tour.
Fowler is exempt next season thanks to his victory at the 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic but he will have work to do in the FedEx Cup Fall to try to finish between Nos. 51 and 60 in the point standings to qualify for the signature events. Otherwise, he will have to rely on sponsor’s exemptions into the events with elevated purses, limited fields and several of which don’t have a cut.
But that’s a problem for another day. On this occasion, it’s time to celebrate the Fowler foursome.
