Rickie Fowler goes in to BMW Championship with a great finnish at FedEx St Jude Championship

Rickie Fowler thoughts after FedEx St Jude Championship.

How’s it feel? Uh, feels good. Um, yeah, I would say after, you know, front night, I didn’t really get off to the start that we wanted. Little loose here and there, a couple drives that cost me and, um, so I had to reassess a little bit going to the back n. Um, and you know, kind of the the main or initial goal for today was to make sure get inside that top 50 number. Um, you didn’t quite have didn’t make the push I wanted on the front to put myself in a position where I could go and necessarily try and win. Um, so yeah, just tried to, you know, manage and, you know, play as simple a golf as I could like I had through parts of the week and that was kind of the um kind of the goal for the back nine to kind of help try and get some things back on track. Ricky, how impactful is it that you don’t have to talk to tournament directors for signature events next year that you’re in every event? Well, being that I got a handful of spots this year, uh, which I’m incredibly grateful for. Um, unfortunately, I I really didn’t take advantage of many of those opportunities up until Jack’s event. Uh, didn’t play that well in any of them. So, those elevated fields and maybe some more points, I didn’t really get them. Um, but it was it was great to have a tea time in them this year. um and didn’t really want to bank on that for next year. So, um yeah, nice to be in a position where we’ll be able to, you know, be back in in those. Um yeah, not have to write notes and calls and ask for favors. How how would you describe the pressure you were feeling on the back nine, especially as you tried to get it across the line? Um I mean, it was tough, especially at this place where it’s it’s it’s such a fine line. I mean, you have to hit the fairway. Um, you know, and it’s um it’s a tough little course. I mean, you drive it well, you can obviously make birdies. There’s been plenty of good rounds out there this week. Um, it was I felt like it was tough to make putts um as the greens kind of dried out and got a little crispier. Um, so yeah, I mean it was just trying, you know, get the ball in the short grass any way we could, which I feel like I did a good job of that on the back nine. Um, just to try and make it as stressfree as possible. Um, but I I knew basically where I needed to be. I knew I I needed to be inside the top 10 and I knew that there was a chance that it could come down to, you know, my playing partner Kirky and I. And um, you know, not that we were playing necessarily a head-to-head match. We we both wanted to play better than we did. Um, you know, unfortunate to see that, you know, his bird at the last, I don’t think he’ll do it, but I think we were both feeling it out there. Um, like I said, after the front nine and not being off to the start that I wanted, had to kind of rep prioritize where we’re at. It wasn’t in a position to necessarily go win, but uh, hey, let’s see if we can still keep ourselves alive and get a tea time next week. A lot can happen on that 18th hole. Um, describe the feelings, you know, one hole away from getting this done and what it’s like playing that hole with what was on the line. Um, yeah, it’s it’s not necessarily a fun hole when you you have to you have to make par or birdie. Um, it’s a lot easier to make bogey there. Um, so yeah, luckily, you know, with the breeze just kind of lightly kind of off the right and a touch of help, it’s a great number off the tea. Um, I could kind of just hit it at the middle bunker. Um, and it was very very felt very good about when I got up there, got a number. I just had a just a full stock wedge. Um, which, you know, in those situations, you don’t necessarily want to be hitting a little soft or off speed shot, especially to a left pin. So, um, yeah, I felt like I stepped up, made some some good swings coming in. Um, so, yeah, accomplished it. Can you walk me through your emotions on that bird on 15? Uh 15. I really I mean I I’d hit some pretty good putts. Uh misread quite a few today. Just you know that felt like uh wasn’t quite seeing them. Um and yeah, I had it I finally I mean I had really good look there and I knew this is one we need to take advantage of. Um would have been nice to get 16 as well. Um but uh no that was that was a big one just to feel like I gave myself a a little buffer instead of feeling like I needed to to make you know another coming in. Um although like I said having getting another one on 16 would have been nice for those last couple. You mentioned here the greens are so tough but you were top 10 in greens in regulation. How important was that for you to kind of continue giving yourself chances for birdie? Uh well, I didn’t I didn’t have too big of an issue with hitting uh fairways and greens. It was once I got on them and making putts. Um you know, going through early part of the back. I had a mud ball on on 10 and then I drove it down the middle on 13 was in a sand divot and so I was just trying to make sure get these on the green. Um but you know, with these greens being brand new, they they are rolling, you know, as good as they can be. Um there’s still some areas uh they they need a probably a a couple good uh punch and sandings. Um but for for being as new as they were, they were they were very good. Um and they’re only going to get better. Um some of the you know unsettled areas um you know by the time we come back next year um they’ll be in a really good spot. Ricky, finally on 17, the par that was, you know, not short. Um did you understand the intent and the priority for that one? Yeah, I mean roughly I knew that uh you know I needed to you know holding my position was I I felt like a for sure thing. Um knew that there might be a chance if I you know make bogey and still make par or make birdie I’m good on the last but um yeah I wasn’t wasn’t playing to to miss it. Um I knew that uh that would that would make 18 uh a bit easier. So hit a good putt there. Um, you know, between that one and and making the the birdie on 15, those were kind of two key putts to kind of keep things going. Perfect. Thank you. Congrats. Thanks,