Bubba Watson and Rickie Fowler
Bubba Watson had to watch the Ryder Cup from the sidelines two years ago at Hazeltine. It was an experience he was determined never to have again.
Watson won three times on the PGA Tour this year, his first victories since 2016, and qualified for the team after serving as a vice-captain that year. After his third win, the Travelers Championship in June, he admitted the thought of getting back to the Ryder Cup was a motivating factor for him to return to the winner’s circle.
“The motivation is I’ve never won a Ryder Cup, so making the Ryder Cup team and trying to win a Ryder Cup as a player would be another tournament victory to me,” he said. “It would be a major championship to me just because I’ve never done it, been a part of it.”
Rickie Fowler, meanwhile, is winless since February 2017 but is coming off an eighth place finish at the BMW Championship last week after missing the first two events of the FedEx Cup playoffs due to an oblique strain. While he hasn’t won yet this year, Fowler does have five top 10 finishes, including a runner-up showing at Augusta.
Watson is just as long off the tee as he’s always been, ranking seventh in driving distance on the PGA Tour in 2018. Fowler, among the most steady putters on tour, ranks 10th in total putting this year. Their different strengths and solid form they have shown this year makes this a formidable pairing for the American team in Paris.
Both Watson (3-8-0) and Fowler (2-4-5) are making their fourth Ryder Cup appearances.