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ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL PRESENTED BY MASTERCARD

March 15, 2017

Rickie Fowler

Orlando, Florida

AMANDA HERRINGTON: We would like to welcome Rickie Fowler to the interview room here at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, making your sixth career start here. Sixth start of the season. It's a special week, you're head to toe umbrella, share with us a little bit how you plan to pay tribute to Arnold Palmer.

RICKIE FOWLER: Well, it's great being back after having missed last year and I told a lot of people it was one of the hardest things I had to do was come up ear here, have lunch with Arnold, and tell him that I wasn't going to be able to play. The kind of look he gave me when I told him I wasn't going to be able to be here was, it was hard to stick to what the plan was and what I was trying to do with the schedule. And probably didn't work out the way I wanted to, didn't play the way I wanted to in some of the Majors, and at Augusta, but to be able to have the time that I did get with him, to play golf with him, and to have some of those one-on-one times, it's something I wish I definitely had more of, but was able to say that, I tell people I was able to call him a friend. So, to be back this year and to, for Puma to get on board and throw the umbrella on the chest and go front and center on the hat, I think it just shows you what he's done, obviously, for the community of golf, golf around the world, the lives he's touched on and off the golf course. It's not often you see -- tournament-wide, I mean and through other tournaments this week, you see a lot of people with the support of the foundation and I mean, like I said, put it on the chest, go front and center on the hat, I definitely wanted to do it, but I'm glad that Puma and the other sponsors out there have jumped on board with that. So, to be able to be here, a place that I played well, to be in contention here before, I'm looking forward to playing well here this week and, yeah, it will be fun. It's different not having him here, but like I said before, put it out last night when I posted some stuff on social media, I mean, legends never die. He's always going to be here, this tournament's going to go on, he was a special man, and I'm happy I was able to call him a friend.

AMANDA HERRINGTON: When I say you're paying tribute head to toe, that's literally true. Can you talk a little bit about your shoes.

RICKIE FOWLER: Yeah, the shoes. I would like to say I had some sort of involvement, I didn't. This was a surprise. Another case where Puma kind of stepped up and did something special to go out and have a, do a collaboration, I had only heard that there was something in the works, I didn't know really what it was, just being able to wear the logo and hat, clothing and stuff is fun and something different for the week and it is cool logo. Everyone knows what the umbrella is and what it stands for. But to have the shoes, something different, it's kind of a collage of Arnie through his years of golf. So it's pretty cool. I told some people I'm not sure if I'm going to take them off. I had to put them on last night to lace them up properly and make sure they were good to go for this morning and, no, it's going to be a special week and I'm glad I was able to put a couple things together and as well as my sponsors stepping up as well.

AMANDA HERRINGTON: Questions?

Q. Can you remember the first time you met Arnold in person and where was it and what was the occasion, that kind of thing.
RICKIE FOWLER: I believe it's here. I played a junior event here, first couple times it was here and then once at Sunnehanna as well. But I played a junior tournament here, I believe I played twice, but I was able to win the tournament here in 2006. And to be able to do that here at Bay Hill in front of Arnold was special. And it's not so much the first few times I remember as much, just because once I became a little closer like getting to play 18 holes with him at Seminole, to being able to watch him hit his last tee shot at Augusta, and then the lunch I had with him last year up here. So, that's more of the stuff, the times I actually got to spend time with him a lot more memorable, for sure.

Q. Couple for you, first off, time flies, I remember maybe six years ago you were here and discussing that round at the pro-member. What you recall, you put on a pretty good show for him that day, didn't you?
RICKIE FOWLER: I did good. It was a good day. It was a fun day. Just being able to go out there and play golf with Arnold. There's not a lot of people that get to say they have done that. And at a special place like Seminole. I think I made nine birdies that day. So, I'm glad I stepped up to the occasion, at least showed him a little bit. Which he had watched me play plenty of golf before, I didn't have to show off or anything, but I remember watching him hit some shots and not that he could get it out there very far at that time, but still had great hands and I remember he hit, I think it was on 11, he hit about a 50-yard bunker shot up the hill. No big deal. And that's one of the hardest shots in golf.

Q. The other question is, I don't know if you're aware, but in his office, he has only one hat in the entire place sitting on his shelf and it's the one you signed last year. Were you aware of that and what does that mean?
RICKIE FOWLER: I wasn't aware of it. I was sent a picture a few days back and saw that it was in there. I had left that with him. When we finished up having lunch last year here I left that with him. So, hopefully we can add to that, the plan is the second pair of the shoes that were handmade, those are currently being auctioned off. I think there's six days lefts on the auction right now. So those shoes are going out to the obviously, the highest bidder and then the shoes that I'm wearing I'm hoping that I can keep the left shoe and take that home, I've got a little Arnie setup at the house and then I want to leave the right shoe here and hopefully next to the hat.

Q. Thinking about the Masters coming up with obviously Tiger's 20 year anniversary of him winning in '97, what do you remember about that win and what did you take away from that that you maybe applied early on as a junior coming up in your career?
RICKIE FOWLER: Well, he started off terrible. It wasn't a good front nine. But I think it was something, it was, I mean I remember watching it, I re-watched it, obviously it was record setting, him going out and getting his first Green Jacket. It was impressive what he was able to do the next kind of 63 holes after going out the way he did. So, something to kind of take from that. Something you have to learn a little bit on your one is you kind of have to, you just never give up, you never know when you may have that one nine holes where you blitz it and you're right back in it. So, I would say one of for me growing up definitely one of the most, I mean I probably watched the Masters the most, but that's probably one of my most memorable tournaments, just because that was, I would have been, what would I have been? Eight? So it was right in my prime. I watched it multiple times and it definitely did not look like he had a chance to win, if you would have looked at him after nine holes.

Q. Can you clarify your schedule for the next two weeks and kind of share what went into that decision.
RICKIE FOWLER: I really don't want to talk about schedule this week. I know where everyone's trying to go with it. I'm excited about this week and obviously what I'm getting ready for is to play well here and get ready for Augusta.

Q. The course here at Bay Hill, can you talk about how it suits your game and what's special challenges any certain holes present to you.
RICKIE FOWLER: To me, it's similar style of golf that we have actually played the last two tournaments for me, Honda and at Mexico. It's not too demanding off the tee as far as you're not always having to hit drivers and it's not too narrow. There's holes where you're hitting 3-woods and potentially irons, but you do have to get the ball in the fairway. And it's very much a second shot golf course. I've played well here, I've been in contention, like I talked about, won a junior tournament here, so I have had plenty of good rounds, I just need to piece four of them together. The time I was in contention, Tiger went on to win and but it was still, that was one of my kind of favorite memories from here. I was able to hang at the bar with him and Arnold after that and just kind of share a late afternoon into the night with those guys.

Q. Obviously this tournament has a different feel than a Major, but probably a different feel than every other PGA TOUR event as well. Can you just kind of describe the tone that you've felt out here so far?
RICKIE FOWLER: It's been great so far. Yeah, leak you talk about, this one has a different feel. I feel like Memorial has a different feel as well. Having what Arnold's done with this and what Jack's done with the tournament up there. No, they're two of the most influential guys that we have in the game and especially this week here. It will be interesting to see what the viewing is TV-wise through the week. I think potentially, even not having someone like Tiger here, I mean it seems like ratings skyrocket when he's in the field and then obviously in contention. But I feel like this week could be record setting, just because of this being the first time that Arnold's not here with us, just kind of paying the respects and honoring someone who had such a big impact on why we're all in this room right now.

Q. As competitive as it is at the top of the World Ranking, what would it mean to you to get there? I know you got a ways to go, but do you feel like you're the closest you've ever been to being in that conversation as No. 1?
RICKIE FOWLER: I have a long ways to go for that. There's definitely a handful of wins that need to happen. I like where the game's at, where it's heading. I played well through the fall and kind of felt it kind of trending that way. I played well in Phoenix and then was able to get the win at Honda. So, no, it's always a process out here. You're always working on something. Always trying to tighten something up. Feels like you work on something and it goes almost the other direction, have you to go back to working on something different. So it's always a fine line. And you're not going to play good every week. So, no, like I said, I like where it's at, like where it's heading, especially with the Masters right around the corner and really that focus is just kind of continuing to play consistent golf, play well, focusing on the one week we have right now. But, yeah, I've got a ways to catch Dustin out there and I don't see him slowing down. So he's going to be tough to catch.

Q. What was it like to get a letter from Arnie and how many have you gotten?
RICKIE FOWLER: What was that?

Q. What's it like to get a letter from Arnie? And how many have you gotten?
RICKIE FOWLER: I don't know the exact number, but whenever you see the letterhead and see who it's from, and it could be a blank page, and just signed Arnold Palmer at the end and just have the other stuff on there and it's awesome. So I know everyone's going to miss those. That was something that in a way you almost thought about when you did win something or something like that, not that it was expected, but you knew there was a good chance that Arnold was watching and he was going to be sending a letter out.

Q. You said the shoe will find a special place in your home. What's that, could you expand a little bit on what you've done as far as attribute to Arnold and then secondly, what's your confidence level in the support players will give this event into the future?
RICKIE FOWLER: So, well right now still kind of getting everything organized at the house and I don't know where memorabilia and stuff like that will kind of end up being in the perfect place. But I have a few things from a couple magazines where he's on the cover from the past year with everything, remembering him, to the paper, everything they handed out at the funeral, the memorial service. I still have that. And just a couple little things. I have the hat from the Ryder Cup that I wore in the final round with the pin on it. So, just a couple little things. Nothing signed from him or any personal little memorabilia from him, but these shoes ended up being something cool that's just the two pairs, like I said, the one that's being auctioned off and then, hopefully, I'll just be able to keep one of the shoes and the other shoe will find a home here.

Q. You talked about this being a second shot golf course. Specifically, how do you prepare for the 18th hole, you're strategy going into that?
RICKIE FOWLER: 18, just kind of pray that we hit the fairway. Because if you don't, you're not hitting the green with the way the rough is right now. So, it's typically a driver, especially today it was a driver and a 4-iron, which I hope we don't have that in through the tournament. No, hit the fairway, then it gives you a chance to kind of get after the front pins or the pins that are on the left. The pins that start to get to the right really just kind of playing for the back half of the green and left of the pin. If I hit one somewhat close there, it's probably missed. Probably a little bit of a mishit and a push. Ultimately, yeah, there's the pin that they usually put on the corner and the pin that's back right, pin high left on the back right and long left on the corner one. If I'm somewhere other than that, then I didn't hit the right shot or what I was trying to do. That's really, it's a very simple hole on what you're supposed to do, but if you get too greedy, 6 and 7 are going to pop up pretty quickly.

AMANDA HERRINGTON: Thank you for your time, Rickie.

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