Rickie Fowler is universally known as one of golf’s biggest gentlemen, but even the nice guys snap every once in a while.
Such was the case Saturday during the third round of the 2025 Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches at PGA National. Fowler charged up the leaderboard and faced an 18-footer for birdie at the par-4 16th. Nearly every player who faced that putt Saturday missed it to the right, and Fowler did the same as his putt grazed the edge of the cup before wandering by.
As Fowler walked after his ball, he turned to the grandstands and barked at a fan who was heckling him about the putt.
“Of course you know,” Fowler exclaimed.
“That’s why you’re in the stands,” he added a few seconds later.
“Of course you know. That's why you are in the stands.”
— Fried Egg Golf (@fried_egg_golf) March 1, 2025
Rickie Fowler with some words for a fan after this missed putt on 16 pic.twitter.com/LhUHvWCpLo
Fowler finished the third round three shots behind 54-hole leader Jake Knapp, who shot a first-round 59 on Thursday.
It’s an important week for the 36-year-old Fowler.
He was not given a sponsor’s exemption into next week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard at Bay Hill Club and Lodge. That decision not to give Fowler an invite meant his only way into an event that is close to his heart is to win this week at PGA National.
“Well, at the end of the day, play better,” Fowler said of being left off the invite list for API on Friday. “It would be a lot easier just having played well last year and earned my way into these events. Been very fortunate and very thankful to Steve John at Pebble and AT&T to get a spot there and Tiger and Genesis to get the one at Torrey. But it’s tough to try and get all of them. Being able to get some of them is great.
“It is what it is. Like I said, at the end of the day, play well, and that’ll take care of it. Obviously I’m bummed that I won’t be there next week. It’s a special event, and obviously, I had a very special relationship with Mr. Palmer. But we’ll see. We’ll see if we can get a trophy this week, and that would take care of that.”
Fowler won this event, which was then called the Honda Classic, back in 2017. He’ll try to rediscover that magic Sunday as he tries to track down Knapp and win his way into Bay Hill.
