Rickie Fowler's last U.S. Open appearance prior to this year was in 2020. You wouldn't know it by how he played Thursday at Los Angeles Country Club.
Fowler starred on the tournament's first day, carding an 8-under 62 in a record-setting performance. The 62 was the lowest score in a single round at the U.S. Open and was just one stroke behind the course record of 61 set by Max Homa in 2013.
Fowler's success put him at the top of the U.S. Open leaderboard. He was joined by Xander Schauffele, who turned in a 62 shortly after Fowler's day ended. The California natives are now well-positioned to make a run at a major title.
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This isn't the first time Fowler has found success on a major stage, but will this be the first time he takes home a major title? Here's what to know about Fowler's history at majors and how he overcame a years-long slump to get into contention at the 2023 U.S. Open.
Has Rickie Fowler ever won a major?
Rickie Fowler has never won a major in his career. He turned pro in 2009 and has been ranked as high as No. 4 in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR).
That said, Fowler has had plenty of success at major tournaments: 12 top-10 finishes. eight top-five finishes and three runner-up finishes.
| Tournament | Best finish | Year |
| Masters Tournament | 2nd | 2018 |
| PGA Championship | T-3rd | 2014 |
| U.S. Open | T-2nd | 2014 |
| The Open Championship | T-2nd | 2014 |
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Rickie Fowler's U.S. Open history
Fowler has been hit-or-miss at the U.S. Open. Three of his 12 top-10 major finishes have come at the event, but he has also missed the cut four times in his 12 appearances in the tournament.
Fowler's last top-10 finish at the U.S. Open came in 2017. Here is how he has fared in his appearances at the major since first qualifying for it as an amateur in 2008.
| Year | Finish |
| 2008 | T-60th |
| 2009 | Missed cut |
| 2010 | Did not qualify |
| 2011 | Missed cut |
| 2012 | T-41st |
| 2013 | T-10th |
| 2014 | T-2nd |
| 2015 | Missed cut |
| 2016 | Missed cut |
| 2017 | T-5th |
| 2018 | T-20th |
| 2019 | T-43rd |
| 2020 | T-49th |
| 2021 | Did not qualify |
| 2022 | Did not qualify |
Fowler did not qualify for the U.S. Open in 2021 and 2022. That period was the low point of a years-long slump that saw him fall out of the top 50 in the OWGR.
He has returned to form in 2023, which allowed him to return to the U.S. Open and put together a strong start.
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Inside Rickie Fowler's bounce-back PGA Tour season
Fowler entered the 2022-23 PGA Tour season ranked 176th in the world, but changes he made coming into the season have sparked his revival.
First, Fowler changed swing coaches, moving on from John Tillery and going back to his previous coach Butch Harmon.
"I love Tillery," Fowler said ahead of the Fortinet Championship in September, per the PGA Tour's website. "I can’t say a bad thing about him. I had to put the personal side away and just look at what’s best for me in the business of golf. We gave it all we had for three years.
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“There was almost too much of a language barrier, in a way,” he added.
Fowler also changed caddies, moving on from his good friend Joe Skovron to PGA Tour veteran Ricky Romano.
"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 of Romano, per Golfweek. "There won’t be necessarily a big learning curve."
Those changes worked. Fowler started the season by tying for sixth at the Fortinet Championship. In all, he has made 14 of 16 cuts this season and seems poised to make his 15th at the U.S. Open after his 8-under opening round.
Additionally, Fowler has finished in the top 20 in 11 of those events and tied for second at the ZOZO Championship in October.
| Event | Finish |
| Fortinet Championship | T-6th |
| Shriners Children's Open | Missed cut |
| ZOZO Championship | T-2nd |
| The CJ Cup | T-34th |
| The American Express | T-54th |
| Farmers Insurance Open | T-11th |
| WM Phoenix Open | T-10th |
| The Genesis Invitational | T-20th |
| Arnold Palmer Invitational | T-31st |
| THE PLAYERS Championship | T-13th |
| Valero Texas Open | T-10th |
| RBC Heritage | T-15th |
| Wells Fargo Championship | T-14th |
| PGA Championship | Missed cut |
| Charles Schwab Challenge | T-6th |
| The Memorial Tournament | T-9th |
His consistency has fueled his rise in the OWGR.
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Rickie Fowler's world ranking by year
Fowler is the 45th-ranked golfer in the world. That doesn't match his height as the fourth-best player in 2016, but it is a far cry from where he found himself after the 2021-22 PGA Tour season ended. He bottomed out at 176th overall in the OWGR before improving his ranking to 103rd by the end of the 2022 calendar year.
| Year | OWGR rank |
| 2022 | 103 |
| 2021 | 85 |
| 2020 | 53 |
| 2019 | 23 |
| 2018 | 11 |
| 2017 | 7 |
| 2016 | 12 |
| 2015 | 6 |
| 2014 | 10 |
| 2013 | 40 |
Fowler's end-of-2023 ranking is on pace to be his highest since 2019. If he can continue to show well at the U.S. Open, he could make another big jump up.