New season, new team for Rickie Fowler.
The five-time PGA Tour winner announced last month that he parted ways with Joe Skovron, his caddie of 13 years. On Tuesday, Fowler confirmed reports that he also ended a relationship of more than three years with swing instructor John Tillery.
“I couldn’t love the guy any more, and we gave it a good run but it was almost like speaking another language in a way and it never really clicked,” Fowler told Golfweek. “He’s had plenty of success with his guys and I wish I would have played significantly better. I’ll take a lot out of the time we spent together. It’s not like the last few years were for nothing. I gained a lot of knowledge and I feel like I’m in a very good spot.”
When Fowler shows up next week in Napa, California, at the Fortinet Championship, the season opener of the 2022-23 PGA Tour campaign, he will have veteran looper Ricky Romano on the bag.
“He’s about my size,” said the 5-foot-9-inch Fowler. “So, I won’t look too small out there, which is a good thing.”
Romano, who played at the University of Houston and on the mini tours before turning to caddying and working for the likes of Nate Lashley and Scott Piercy, grew up in Fowler’s hometown of Murrieta, California, and is four years older than him.
“He’s a good fit for me just because he’s someone I know, someone I know is a good player and I can trust his insight from the get-go,” Fowler said. “There won’t be necessarily a big learning curve.”
And who will Fowler be relying on for swing advice? He’s decided to spend more time with his former coach Butch Harmon. Fowler always had remained in contact with Harmon, who he last spent time with ahead of the CJ Cup last October. Fowler held the 54-hole lead before finishing T-3, his best result of the season.
“That was like a stamp of approval from someone who has helped in some of my best years of my career,” Fowler said of Harmon’s contribution that week. “I’m planning to have more communication with him this fall, but not committing or going anywhere outside of that right now.”
Fowler said he plans to play in the Shriners Children’s Open in October and expects to visit with Harmon ahead of that week.
Fowler last won at the 2019 WM Phoenix Open. He missed the FedEx Cup playoffs for the first time in 2021 and snuck into the first playoff at No. 125 in the standings this season.
“I’m just trying to get back to playing golf rather than worrying and playing golf swing,” Fowler said.
