Rickie Fowler’s honest admission about being ‘a little scared’ of Tiger Woods

Tiger was returning from yet another injury and trying to find his rhythm again in the 2017 Hero World Challenge.

He started to show signs of his old self at that event, finishing eight under par while Fowler ended up taking the title.

Even though the California native won, he admitted at the time that playing alongside Woods had played a role in sharpening his focus.

Fowler said in 2017: “One of the times we played 18 holes, I was going back to work out and he went and played another nine. I think he sharpened me up a little bit. I’d gotten a little scared of how good he was playing at home, thought I needed to start playing a little bit better.

“Tiger’s still going to have that similar effect when you see his name on the board coming down the last nine holes and being in the mix. You know he’s not scared. He’s done it, he’s been there before. I wouldn’t say guys are scared. I think they’re more excited about it and having him back and having the chance to play against Tiger, and we want to see him play well. It’s only better for our game.

“I want all the guys I play against to be the best that they can be. I want to be able to beat guys that are playing at their best at that time. Whether Tiger can get back to where he was in early 2000s, we don’t know. Could he get close? Possibly.”

Why 2026 could be a defining year for Rickie Fowler

It feels like ages ago that Fowler was being tipped as a future multiple major winner, especially around this tournament. The expectations were high, and many thought he would go on to have a huge career.

Woods has since added another major to his haul, famously winning the 2019 Masters to reach 15 career majors. Meanwhile, Fowler is still searching for his first.

Heading into 2026, it feels like a crucial year for Fowler. His form has dipped significantly, and he is rarely mentioned among the favourites for majors these days.

If things do not pick up soon, we may already have seen the best of him. His career could easily continue on this downward path unless something changes.

It would be great to see him rediscover some of that old form we saw back in 2017 with Tiger. If not, he might end up being one of those players who never quite lived up to early expectations.