KAPALUA, Maui »Rickie Fowler didn’t come to Maui just to hit a little white ball around the spacious Plantation Course.
One of the PGA Tour’s rising stars, the 24-year-old from Southern California has spent as much time at Peahi near the surf site Jaws as he prepared for the 2013 Hyundai Tournament of Champions.
Since his arrival in the islands, Fowler has tried to combine business with pleasure in his first appearance in this winners-only tournament. It’s only his second visit to Maui — and the first he will remember.
"I think I was like 3 or something," Fowler said of his first trip here. "Been hanging out with a couple of my Red Bull buddies; (surfer) Ian Walsh and (stand-up paddler) Kai Lenny live just outside Peahi by Jaws and hung out there. I’m planning to go back over there next week and just enjoying some time on the island, getting used to the life over here. I’m holding off surfing until next week. Ian is going to take me out and put me on some mellow stuff."
And golf?
"Today was I think my third round since I’ve been here," Fowler said. "I’ve been kind of balancing fun and golf at the same time, so enjoying it for sure and looking forward to getting things started (today)."
Looking back, 2012 was kind of a mixed bag for Fowler. He got his first tour win at the Wells Fargo Championship last May by beating world No. 1 Rory McIlroy and D.A. Points in a playoff by stuffing a wedge inside 5 feet on the first playoff hole.
He managed six top-15 finishes in his first 16 starts before the U.S. Open in June, but dropped off the golf map after that with only two finishes in the top 25. It left golf aficionados wondering what went wrong, something Fowler addressed at length during his session with the media.
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TODAY’S TEE TIMES
10:35: Rickie Fowler, Jason Dufner
10:45: Matt Kuchar, Webb Simpson
10:55: Keegan Bradley, John Huh
11:05: Ian Poulter, Jonas Blixt
11:15: Marc Leishman, Ted Potter Jr.
11:25: Kyle Stanley, Scott Stallings
11:35: George McNeill, Ryan Moore
11:45: Ben Curtis, Mark Wilson
11:55: Johnson Wagner, J.J. Henry
12:05: Carl Pettersson, Scott Piercy
12:15: Zach Johnson, Hunter Mahan
12:25: Charlie Beljan, Tommy Gainey
12:35: Bill Haas, Nick Watney
12:45: Bubba Watson, Dustin Johnson
12:55: Brandt Snedeker, Steve Stricker
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"I got off to a so-so start, but ended up playing well in May," Fowler said. "I had some really good finishes and got my first win, which was awesome. Then it may have looked kind of funny after that. I was keeping a secret for a while playing injured."
Fowler made it through to the Tour Championship. But a nagging injury in his lower back proved so troublesome he took extended time off before playing in Tiger Woods’ tournament last month. Even though he’s still not 100 percent, Fowler said the two-month break fueled his competitive fire.
So, what’s the problem?
Well, Fowler is already dealing with inflamed SI joints near the back of his hips.
While trying to play through it, Fowler developed some bad habits that contributed to his pain and poor play. He talked about backbends and backswings, improper alignments and such. It all led to a poor summer and early fall.
"I’ve always had a little bit of low back — not pain or issues or anything like that — but just minor things here and there, just the way I swing," Fowler said. "I put a lot of stress on my body. It was something with basically like having a bruise somewhere. It’s going to hurt if you hit it or bump against something. But it wasn’t like I could hurt it any worse. I’m not 100 percent yet, but soon."
When healthy, Fowler is one of the 20-somethings expected to compete with McIlroy for the world No. 1. Both are basically the same age with a nice pedigree, although Fowler feels like he has some catching up to do before being considered in the same rarified air as the Irishman.
"I’m definitely a few wins behind him, a couple of majors," Fowler said. "I look forward to playing against Rory for a long time. I hope I can catch him at one point. He’s the No. 1 player in the world right now for a reason. I’ve got plenty of time to catch him, but he’s a step ahead of me right now."
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Rainy, windy weather forecast
The forecast is wet and windy for this year’s Hyundai Tournament of Champions at Kapalua.
Thursday’s Pro-Am, won with a 17-under-par 56 by Hunter Mahan’s team, was socked in and soggy.
Visibility was so bad at Kapalua Airport that planes could not land.
The PGA Tour’s official forecast calls for a 60 percent chance of rain and 30 mph winds. On Saturday it could be 40 mph, with rain squalls.
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Star-Advertiser staff
