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JOHN DEERE CLASSIC

July 6, 2010

Rickie Fowler

SILVIS, ILLINOIS

DOUG MILNE: I'd like to welcome Rickie Fowler to the interview room. Rickie, you're the top rookie on the Money List right now. You're leading the Kodak Challenge, and you're the top rookie in the FedExCup points, and just yesterday you found out you're in the British Open. Kind of talk a little bit about how your year's been going and if you're satisfied so far with your rookie year on TOUR.
RICKIE FOWLER: Yeah. It's been a lot of fun. You know, turning professional when I decided to and I got to play some Fall Series events last year and got my card through Q-School, so nice to basically just play week in and week out out here, and to get off to the start that we've had has been awesome and a lot of fun getting to play with the best players in the world and getting to know them.
Obviously I'd like to have a win on the resume this year, but other than that, it's been pretty much I wouldn't say how we planned, but it's been I'd say above expectations. And like I said, we're having a lot of fun.
And then finding out being in the Open, found out yesterday morning, and pretty excited to go over there, my first major as a pro getting to play at St. Andrews in the British.

Q. How did you get in and did you even know that that was possible and is it a different kind of Money List?
RICKIE FOWLER: No. It's not a Money List. They do alternates off of current world rankings, so I knew I was one of the top guys on the alternate list to get in. So I knew my chances were playing well here, finishing inside Top 5, being the low finisher, if not already exempt or get in as an alternate. I wasn't really banking on getting in as an alternate, but two spots became available and I got one of them.

Q. Rickie, did you play today? If you did, what's it like out there? What did you think of the course?
RICKIE FOWLER: Yeah, I went and played 18 this morning. Course looks fun. First time I've seen it, so still getting to know it a little bit. Playing the Pro Am tomorrow afternoon and hopefully get everything set for the week, but it looks like it's in great shape. Looking forward to playing it. Like I said, it's a fun course and you can make some birdies on it.

Q. What have you heard about this community? Everybody talks about it and what were your thoughts on this course coming in?
RICKIE FOWLER: Well, I heard it's a fun course. Like I said, you can make birdies, and I've heard a lot of good things. I haven't heard any bad things about it. I've heard it's a fun tournament that's ran well and good atmosphere.

Q. Rickie, you talked about not having that win on your resume yet. Obviously a couple of close calls. Do you feel like you are making progress for that goal?
RICKIE FOWLER: Yeah. I've made a lot of progress, I can tell, just from how I was in contention at Frys in the Fall Series to San Diego when I had somewhat of a chance, and then Waste Management coming down the stretch and then basically leading most of the tournament at Memorial.
I felt really comfortable in the position that I was at Memorial. And I made a couple bad swings on Sunday and a couple putts didn't fall and then there was this guy Justin Rose who happened to play pretty well on Sunday.
Like I said, I felt really comfortable at Memorial throughout the week, and it's the most comfortable I've felt other than those other events that I was in contention.

Q. Did you talk much to Justin? (Indiscernible).
RICKIE FOWLER: I actually didn't see him much at Memorial. The only time I saw him was when I walked off 18 green the last day. And he said, great playing. And he said there's a bright future. So I'm moving forward and looking forward to being in contention.

Q. Rickie, going back to the British Open, was it a surprise that you got in on this alternate status or were you kind of banking on having to finish in the Top 5 here this week? And if so, if it wasn't a surprise, just your -- can you expand the feelings about playing in your first major at St. Andrews?
RICKIE FOWLER: Well, we actually mentioned that earlier. But yeah, I was basically coming in knowing that I had to finish in the Top 5 and go off of that. I wasn't trying to bank on alternate. I knew that I was going to be one of the top alternates because of current world ranking. And I didn't know it was going to come this soon. And I was more expecting the alternate stuff would be probably later on in the week.
So it was a surprise to me that it came yesterday. But I'm pretty pumped to go play St. Andrews in my first major. I love links golf, and like I said, I'm excited to go over.

Q. How rewarding and satisfying has this stretch been for you, not quite at the top but knowing you're on the right track?
RICKIE FOWLER: Well, the whole year, I mean since I've turned pro, it's been a pretty fun little journey. It's gone by fast, but it hasn't been very long. I haven't been pro for more than a year yet, and I think we're on the right track and moving forward.
We've been in contention, had chances to win, a lot of Top 5s, a lot of Top 10s, doing well in FedExCup points, looking forward to playing through the FedExCup, going to play the TOUR Championship, play the British Open, PGA Championship, chance to make the Ryder Cup team, stuff like that.
I mean it wasn't -- stuff like that didn't really start adding up until the good play. I wasn't thinking about all that right when I turned pro. It was more about getting the card, get out, kind of get established and go from there.

Q. I'm sure it's been a learning process every week. What are some things that maybe paid off?
RICKIE FOWLER: Really the biggest thing as a rookie, for me I've been used to the travel. I've traveled quite a bit for junior golf and amateur golf and all that.
The biggest thing for me is just getting used to the courses because most of the courses I hadn't seen before. Like here, I saw the course for the first time this morning. I'll play the Pro Am tomorrow and then go from there.

Q. Getting into the British Open, does that affect what your strategy is going to be for this week or do you even come up with that strategy week to week?
RICKIE FOWLER: Week to week is you gotta win. Figure out the best way to play the course and try and get the ball in the hole as quick as you can. Doesn't matter what happened last week or what's going on next week.
Obviously we want to save some energy for next week, but I grew up playing pretty much every day. I didn't sit on the range and hit balls. I was used to playing golf every day, and that's what we're going to do this week, and I think that's the best way that I can prepare for the British Open.

Q. Is the jet one of the big reasons you're here at this tournament?
RICKIE FOWLER: Like I said, I just found out yesterday. I was in the tournament -- obviously we didn't know what we were going to do really because we didn't know if we were going to be in the British Open or not. And it could -- if I was in the British Open at the beginning of June knowing I was in for sure, it could have been different on if I was playing or not, but I'm glad to be here.
And like I said, I like playing instead of sitting on the range and hitting balls. So I think that playing the week prior is one of the best ways for me to prepare. So jet or no jet, I'd like to play, but the jet flying over on Sunday night is definitely a big perk.
DOUG MILNE: Okay. Thanks a lot, Rickie. Good luck this week.
RICKIE FOWLER: Thank you.

End of FastScripts

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