Rickie Fowler on a vice captaincy for U.S. Ryder Cup team: ‘I’d be there in a heartbeat’
Could Rickie Fowler be part of the U.S. Ryder Cup team in September, after all?
While Fowler has an uphill climb to make the team on merit – he ranks 41st in the U.S. team point standings and only the top six automatically qualify – and his current form doesn’t suggest he’d be one of Steve Stricker’s six captain’s picks, Fowler said he’d be open to serving as a vice captain at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin for the Sept. 24-26 matches.
“With the position I’m in, age-wise, and yeah, I’d have to play my (rear) off the next few weeks to have a chance there, which like you said, it’s not out of the question. But yeah, if the team – if the guys wanted me there, I’d be there in a heartbeat,” he said. “They’re such fun weeks to be a part of whether you’re playing or not. Some of my favorite times have been when I’ve sat out and basically got to be there as, you know, a makeshift assistant captain in a way. You’re out there supporting the crew and being around.”
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Stricker already has named Davis Love III, Zach Johnson and Jim Furyk as vice captains and has said he would be interested in having Tiger Woods, who is recovering from injuries sustained in a car accident in February, in that role as well.
Fowler, who served on the U.S. Ryder Cup Task Force, would be a popular choice in the locker room and has played on four U.S. Ryder Cup teams, including the victorious side in 2016, which thrived with Bubba Watson as a late addition in the vice captaincy role. Sergio Garcia served in a similar role when he was in the midst of a slump in 2010. Fowler has also represented Team USA on three winning Presidents Cup squads.
He added: “It’s a lot more fun playing, but just being a part of those weeks is very special. Yeah, if I got asked or had the opportunity to go be a part of it, it would be awesome. We’ll see if we can take advantage of the next month or so starting here this week and give ourselves an outside shot at it.”
