Rickie Fowler’s comeback FedEx Cup Playoffs run ended last week, when he came up just short of the qualifying for the 2025 Tour Championship at East Lake. But while Fowler’s fight on the course has ended, his fight with internet trolls has not.
Following Sunday’s final round of the BMW Championship, Fowler fired back at harsh critics flooding his replies on social media
Fowler fights back at profanity-laced critiques
Still one of the most popular PGA Tour pros in the game, Fowler has struggled for years to recapture the magic he found a decade ago when he hit No. 4 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
Last year, Fowler failed to qualify for any of the FedEx Cup Playoff events, shockingly finishing the regular season in 108th place.
But Fowler turned a corner this season. He missed only two cuts in 21 events and earned three top-10 finishes. That was good enough to narrowly qualify for the playoff opener, the FedEx St. Jude Championship. There, he put together his best finish of the year, a T6, to jump in to 48th place and advance to the BMW Championship.
Rickie Fowler’s FedEx Cup Playoffs run sparked debate. It missed the bigger point
At the BMW, Fowler had another stellar performance, earning a T7. But it wasn’t quite enough to make the Tour Championship. He finished in 32nd place, just two spots short.
Despite his great playoff run, Fowler faced criticism for something completely out of his control. Having finished so poorly last season, Fowler wasn’t automatically qualified for any Signature Events in 2025. But he received several sponsor’s exemptions to play in them.
Some critics contend that it was unfair for Fowler to qualify for the playoffs based on points he accumulated in tournaments for which he had sponsor’s exemptions. And Fowler faced off with some of those critics online.
Sunday night after the BMW, Fowler made an Instagram story post summing up his season, writing: “Heading home… It has been a fun run the last few months… we left it all out there and bummer to come up a little short of the top 30. Thanks to my team and especially all my fans…coming back stronger!!!”
It appears that Fowler received a lot of hate for his first story, so shortly thereafter, he posted another story, this time with screenshots of profane comments sent to him.
He also added a message firing back at his critics hiding behind their “little fake account.”
“Cliff, or whoever you are, you know where to find me and I’d love to see you face to face. You’re the one hiding behind your little fake account… I’m sure your significant others are so thrilled how you’ve done in life… enjoy your Sunday evening.”
While Fowler will not be playing for the $40 million Tour Championship purse and a shot at the FedEx Cup title, he isn’t leaving 2025 empty-handed. By finishing within the top 50 in the FedEx Cup standings, Fowler already has qualified for all of the Signature Events in 2026, no sponsor’s exemptions necessary.
