Why Butch Harmon says Rickie Fowler’s win means more to him than Tiger, Phil majors

In the wake of Rickie Fowler’s comeback win at the Rocket Mortgage Classic on Sunday, there was perhaps no one happier than Fowler’s coach, Butch Harmon, who appeared on SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio’s “Gravy and the Sleeze,” hosted by Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz, on Monday.

“It was spectacular. I think my anxiety was probably the same level as his was when he was playing, just because I wanted it for him so bad,” Harmon said. “To come from 185th in the world all the way to 23rd in eight months is an incredible journey that he’s taken.

“And guys I’ll be honest with ya,” Harmon continued. “I think this one meant more to me personally than a lot of the majors that I’ve won with different guys, just ’cause I know how far down Rickie was, and to watch him come back, it was a joy to watch.”

“Wow, that’s sayin’ somethin’, with all the guys you’ve coached and all the tournaments they’ve won, that this one means that much to you,” Stoltz remarked.

Stoltz is spot-on. Given the many wins and big-name stars with whom Harmon has been associated over the course of his career — Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson, to name a few — Harmon’s words about Fowler carry a lot of weight.

Harmon and Fowler worked together from 2013-2019, when Harmon decided to semi-retire from the grind of Tour teaching. Fowler then began working with John Tillery, before reconnecting with Harmon last fall.

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Harmon told Knost and Stoltz that Fowler’s swing had changed quite a bit, but he had a game plan that he was confident would help Fowler. The two live on opposite sides of the country, and initially communicated via video, texts and calls. Harmon’s brother, Craig, is a member at Fowler’s home club in Florida, Medalist Golf Club, and the two would practice together so Craig could share intel with Butch.

Harmon explained that the primary focus for his work with Fowler was to get his swing back on plane, since Harmon felt Fowler had gotten too flat, so the two started with changing Fowler’s takeaway.

Golf swing aside, Harmon said he was also impressed by Fowler’s grit. Even when the tournament got away from him, Fowler continued to persevere.

“He stepped up to the plate and got the job done,” Harmon said. “And that’s what you have to do to prove to yourself that you’re back at the top of your game, and I think that’s the thing that impressed me the most.”

Unsurprisingly, Harmon says he’s also bullish about Fowler’s future, especially given Fowler’s newfound confidence.

“He’s gonna win again,” he said.

This article has been updated since its original publication.

Golf.com Editor

As a four-year member of Columbia’s inaugural class of female varsity golfers, Jessica can out-birdie everyone on the masthead. She can out-hustle them in the office, too, where she’s primarily responsible for producing both print and online features, and overseeing major special projects, such as GOLF’s inaugural Style Is­sue, which debuted in February 2018. Her origi­nal interview series, “A Round With,” debuted in November of 2015, and appeared in both in the magazine and in video form on GOLF.com.

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