Rickie Fowler thoughts after his great first round at 2025 Truist Championship

Rickie Fowler. Thursday. 2025 Truist Championship

Ricky, obviously hot start. What was going well for you early? Uh, kept it simple, I guess, in a way just kind of executed how I wanted to. Um, I felt like you some of the pin locations were were prettyable and with the conditions today, you’re going to have to make birdies and, uh, kind of the start to how the golf course is laid out. I know this isn’t the normal routing, but the, um, the first seven holes, um, you can you can make a lot of birdies there. If you get out of position, you also go the other way. But, um, knew that was going to be key to kind of get off to a nice start and kind of get things rolling there. What’s your early impressions of the course so far? I think it’s great. It’s it’s a fun place to play. Um, you know, for the for the members that are here, this is, you know, about all you can ask for for, you know, somewhere you show up and play every day. And it’s I feel like they’ve done a great job of, you know, modernizing it over time, but it still, you know, has all the old school characteristics. It’s a fun place to play. You know, figured scores were going to be pretty low with with the, you know, softer conditions and not much wind today. um be a little different maybe tomorrow with moisture and and playing having to play with uh you know a wet golf ball. Um we’ll say it’s yeah we’re we’re all enjoying it because this isn’t uh you know we don’t get to see many courses like this or old school architecture throughout the year. Is there any kind of like extra satisfaction when you get like a we have to get um you know an invitation to come the sponsors you and to come out here and play that well. Yeah, I mean you obviously want to come out and prove yourself. I haven’t uh been playing all that well last year and and the start of this year. hasn’t been very far off, but fortunate enough to uh you having spent the you know for for the tournaments to to give me the opportunity to come play. Um I’ve had a number of exemptions this year which I’m very very happy for and appreciate from the the sponsors and the tournament directors. So um yeah, you want to come out and and play well. So uh off to a good start and looking forward to keep it rolling. There’s also been a little bit of mixed reaction, I guess, to you playing next week. Have you, you know, listened to much of that or tried to to tune any of that? Would you I mean, it the the negative stuff, I would say, kind of helps me in a way because it wants it fuels me to go out and kind of prove people wrong. And you know, I feel like there was something prior to 2015 players saying I was the most overrated player and they worked out all right that week. So, anything specifically you feel like you did better today that maybe even showing this year? I was I was a bit tighter. Um, my body’s feeling better. Um, kind of allowing me to go play golf and we made minor adjustment yesterday. Bent my irons degree up. I felt like I was making good swings and zeroing things out and ball was just hanging a little right from what I wanted to see. Um, so it was good to kind of see things tighten up with the irons today. Um, so yeah, I I’ I’ve been happy with where my game’s been at for for quite a while. I just haven’t really seen the, you know, product of the work I’m putting in or what I feel like I can produce. So, um, this this was a little better day. Was there a shot of the day for you? [Music] Um, there was some good I mean birdie in the last after uh I put myself in a tough situation on 17. So, um I think making birdie there had a nice drive off the last good shot in there with six iron. So, uh hard to pick out one shot. I’ll just I’ll pick the 18 full. I saw you out there kind of laughing, talking with Gary and Andrew. How does playing with guys you’re comfortable with help, especially when you’re playing well? Well, I I I enjoy playing with everyone out here. I mean, especially guys that I haven’t been around much or, you know, new guys on tour, getting to know them. But, you know, Gary’s one of my better friends out here. Uh, we play a decent amount at home. He lives about 45 minutes south of us., you know, I’ve gotten to know Andrew a little bit. Great player. He’s obviously had a a solid year this year, which has been fun to watch. But, um, yeah, Gary and I always have a good time together, whether it’s, you know, at home playing, practicing, or, you know, out here on tour. With the irons, have they gotten out of kilter and been back to where they were, or did you have to make adjustments because of swing changes? No, I just feel like I’ve, you know, over the last few years, I’ve gotten more upright. Uh I, I said, I felt like I was delivering it in a good spot. Um, and and zeroing things out, and the ball flight wasn’t matching what I felt. Felt like I was having to work a little too hard to, you know, straight ball or turn the ball over. So, um, just went ahead and tried a few of them at one more degree up from where I’m normally at. Um, I liked what I saw it. The club was sulling better, a little more square, uh, through through the turf. So, went ahead and just did the rest from there. Uh, well, it’s all it’s all weather dependent. I mean, depending on what we see tomorrow, um, you know, and then it’s it’s going to continue to be soft from there. So then it becomes wind dependent. Um if we play the ball up or if we play the ball down, if we’re dealing with mud balls and different things like that. So um yeah, big thing when when conditions are like this, you want to make sure you take advantage of it so you’re not trying to play catchup and you know, kind of play from behind the eightball. So um typically low scores the first day don’t really dictate a whole lot. Um you know, unless it was going to be like this every day, but it doesn’t look like it’s going to be like that tomorrow. Thanks Ricky. Nice.