ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL

March 2, 2021

Rickie Fowler

Bay Hill Club and Lodge

Quick Quotes

Q. How would you describe the grind?

RICKIE FOWLER: It's golf. Everyone that's played really at all, especially at some sort of a high level completely understands that golf is up-and-down. You take advantage of the times where you're playing well and ride those out, because you know that it's not always going to be that way, there are times where it's going to go down and you're going to have to fight through it.

Unfortunately, this one's been a little longer than I would like it to have been, but, yeah, we're grinding through it. A lot of it I would say is more just on the mental side now, just getting back and playing as much as possible to just get the reps in. It's a matter of time. We'll just keep kicking the darn door and she'll fall.

Q. Part of that grind has you now 65th in the World Golf Ranking ranking, that top 50 as we know sort of magical to get in the events you want. How much does that go knew your thinking of trying to get inside that top 50 and more?

RICKIE FOWLER: Yeah, I mean that's the short-term goal. Honestly, I hadn't really looked at rankings this year, really. I mean, I knew I wasn't inside the top 50, I didn't know exactly where I was, it wasn't necessarily something where I was calculating or saying, I need to do this to get back to here, it's, play golf.

Finished off with a nice round on Sunday in L.A., which could have been a lot better, but things are starting to head the right way. Like I said, it's just been a bit slower than I would have liked it to be and, but, yeah, short-term goal, get back inside the top 50 and get this car started back up and get running.

Q. How frustrating is it to have a valley, as you said, longer than you had anticipated?

RICKIE FOWLER: It's very frustrating. It's made it at times tough between Joe and I on the course. We have a great relationship, we have known each other for a long time, but when I'm out there and I'm not hitting shots that I'm visualizing and seeing, it's hard.

It's tough for all of us that are involved, from my caddie, to my wife, she's having to deal with me at home. I'm trying to be the best husband that I can, not bringing golf back home. But when you're out on the road that long and on the grind, putting in the work at home -- it's pretty much been all golf. A lot of people have asked, have you been able to fish much at home? Not really, I've been, the days that I have off I just take completely off and it's been workout, therapy and golf.

So, yeah, everyone that's part of my team from coach, Tillery -- I haven't really seen my agent a whole lot with the restrictions and them not being able to travel -- but my trainer, we're all in this together and we're going to keep battling it out, but, yeah, it's been frustrating, I'm ready to be past that.

Q. Talk a little bit about what this tournament means to you and honoring Mr. Palmer's legacy.

RICKIE FOWLER: I mean, the API or the Arnold Palmer Invitational, it's just a special week. I mean, obviously it was even more special, I think, having Arnie around and people getting to see him and be around and spend time with him.

I was fortunate enough to get a lot of time with him over the years. But now to be able to kind of, not that he needed any help to carry on the legacy, but to help raise money for the foundation through with Puma and creating some cool collections for the event, to be here to play at a course that I've had success at, great memories, won a junior tournament here back in the day.

Yeah, just put it all together, it's just a good, fun week. From playing junior amateur golf with Sam Saunders and being involved with the family, like I said, and now, like really doing stuff with the foundation to make a difference, it's, I mean, the least we could do.

Q. Talk a little bit about when you were not going to play this event that one year and you made the decision to drive up here. What went into that thought process?

RICKIE FOWLER: It was obviously a tough decision. It was all schedule related and how the schedule leading up to this event and after, it really wouldn't allow me to, with, at the time, not playing a bunch of events in a row, and being ready for Augusta, that was what led to the decision.

So between myself and kind of a team around me, just thought it would be, it would mean a lot if I at least made that announcement or discussed it and shared it with Arnold in person.

I mean, one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. It was like I was breaking up with a long-time girlfriend or something.

So I was able to come up, enjoy lunch, he was a little bit in shock, but he understood. Yeah, definitely, one, like I said it was very hard at the time, but one that I look back on and glad that I did it and got to have that little extra time with him.

Q. What car did you drive up in? How was the drive?

RICKIE FOWLER: I actually don't remember which car I drove up.

Q. Was it a nice ride though?

RICKIE FOWLER: Oh, it was a nice ride. It was probably one of the Mercedes, at the time. But it was my agent and I, we cruised up and, like I said, wasn't the best at the time, just because of how disappointed he was. Like I said, he did understand. But for me looking back, yeah, it was definitely something that is a memory that I'll always have.