U.S. Open 2019: Rickie Fowler is growing a mullet for a very good reason

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Rickie Fowler’s mullet grabbed viewers’ attention a month ago, when the lettuce began to flourish at the PGA Championship. But at the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, people have really begun to take notice. The front is even shorter. The back is even longer. Best of all, Fowler has a good reason to grow the flow.

Around the PGA Championship, Golf Channel’s Cara Banks reported that Fowler and Jason Dufner were growing out their hair for “Mullet May.” That’s an initiative the two adopted to raise awareness for their respective foundations, according to a tweet from Banks.

.@RickieFowler confirms on @GolfCentral the long flow 💇🏻‍♂️ has been for “Mullet May” a new idea he & @JasonDufner decided to adopt to raise awareness for their respective foundations – Fowler’s will now focus more on leukaemia due to his close friendship with Jarrod Lyle

— Cara Banks (@CaraBanksGC) May 15, 2019

The cynics among you may point out that it’s no longer May. In fact, it’s mid-June. But great causes have no start and end date, and we also suspect Fowler has grown fond of the look. As for Dufner? He’s let the flow continue to grow, too.

Fowler’s foundation will now focus more on leukemia due to his close relationship with Jarrod Lyle, who died last August. Fowler honored him during the 2018 PGA Championship, wearing yellow in his honor and spoke to his loss.

“It’s been fun to be thinking about him while we’re out there playing because he would probably be the one to kind of kick you in the butt if you started feeling sad or bad,” Fowler said. “He would kind of give you a hard time and tell to you man up or something along those lines.

“It’s been enjoyable celebrating his life, and we’ll continue to do that.”

Fowler originally started the Rickie Fowler Foundation in 2011 to help at-risk youth in Japanese and Native American communities, though it has contributed to other causes as well.

The Jason Dufner Foundation’s mission is to end child hunger in Lee County, Alabama. Dufner has had a home base in Alabama since his college days at Auburn.

Fowler opened the U.S. Open strong with a first-round 66 but faded with a second-round 77. Dufner made the cut with steadier approach, firing 70-71 in his first two rounds.