SAN DIEGO — When Ricky Fowler reached out to Butch Harmon and requested him to check out his swing, the well-known golf swing coach, who coached the 34-year-old Fowler via probably the most profitable years of his life, admitted that he shared a thought with a number of ardent Fowler followers: What took A very long time?
“I didn’t say that,” Harmon stated on the Tuesday earlier than the 70s PGA Present Day.y PGA Merchandise Present in Orlando, “However I have been serious about it.”
Harmon laughed after which straightened his face, persevering with to talk.
“It was unhappy,” he stated. “It was robust to observe him go from perpetual high 10 participant on the planet to exterior of the highest 150.” (Fowler dropped to 160y However he improved to 106y Enter this week.)
Fowler has completed 134th and a hundred and twenty fifth within the FedEx Cup rankings the previous two seasons and hasn’t received because the WM Phoenix Open in February 2019, however Harmon expects that to alter.
“I feel he will win this yr,” he stated, including, “The sport wants it.”
After Fowler opened with a par 72 within the first spherical of the Southern Open to safe Farmers in Torrey Pines on Thursday, he was requested about Harmon’s declaration that victory is on the horizon.
“It can occur,” Fowler stated. “I assumed he would say this week. I am not at the beginning I want however it’s not out of the query.”
Since parting methods with coach John Tillery in September and asserting that he and Harmon had resumed working collectively, Fowler has proven regular development again to the participant who has 5 PGA Tour titles, together with the 2015 Gamers Championship, to his credit score. He has scored two top-ten finishes in his first three begins of the season, most notably a second-place end within the Zozo Championship.
Harmon and Fowler labored extensively beginning in November, Harmon stated Altering the airplane of his swing.
Ricky Fowler hits the tee on the primary gap through the first spherical of the 2023 Farmers Insurance coverage Open at Torrey Pines in San Diego. (Picture: Ray Acevedo-USA TODAY Sports activities)
“He was very flat and tumbled, his left arm place is larger and he has extra rotation in his hips through the swing.”
Fowler acknowledges that the swingarm modifications are a piece in progress and nonetheless look higher within the vary than they do on the monitor. He struggled along with his driver and total hitting final week at American Specific, the place he missed the reduce, noting that he walked away feeling like he was striving for a takeaway.
“I positively know I am doing the precise issues. I nonetheless have to present plenty of credit score to (John) Tillery regardless that we have not had success in these three years, I realized quite a bit and he put me within the place after I began with Butch to get a greater understanding,” Fowler stated. “It has been plenty of work however when you understand you are doing the precise issues and also you see the ball do what you need it to do and also you get a few of these good ending touches within the fall, it is positively good to realize some confidence and momentum. “
Very like when world primary Rory McIlroy reconnected along with his longtime coach, Michael Bannon, Trevor Immelman, chief golf analyst for CBS Sports activities, stated he was relieved when Fowler returned to Harmon.
“Butch has that method about him. He is an awesome coach,” stated Immelman. “I feel Ricky respects him sufficient to the place he’ll hear and the place, when Butch is difficult on him, he’ll react positively. And I simply love what they’re engaged on. I spent two days with them in Las Vegas on the Shriners (Youngsters Open) and Butch was taking me via all of the modifications and I might see the distinction within the vary. Which is you understand, I can now begin to see he is slowly bleeding out on the golf course, and that is the final hurdle.”