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BMW CHAMPIONSHIP

September 8, 2010

Rickie Fowler

LEMONT, ILLINOIS

NELSON SILVERIO: Let's welcome Rickie Fowler to the interview room here at the BMW Championship. Thanks for spending a few minutes with us. You are currently 25th in the FedExCup points. A big week for you, picked for the U.S. Ryder Cup team. It's your first start at BMW. Start us out with general impressions.
RICKIE FOWLER: Today was my first time out on the course. Played the pro-am this morning, first time around the course. I liked the layout. It's a ball striker's course. Definitely got to be in the fairway to get close to these pins.
It's in decent shape. I think it's going to be a fun week. Like I said, ball striker's course, so I feel like I can hit it well at times. That's been part of the -- maybe the stronger part of my game this year, so ready to get going. It's nice to have a little bit of a load off my shoulders with the Ryder Cup pick and kind of just be able to play for the FedExCup, try and get some points this week and move on to the TOUR Championship.

Q. Can you talk about how much suspense was there for the Ryder Cup for you? Did Corey let you know ahead of time? Exactly where were you when you found out?
RICKIE FOWLER: Well, we had a dinner at the PGA Championship where there was 20 guys that he brought from all the points, and basically had dinner and everyone just kind of hung out, and he said that he was going to make the picks Monday night this week, past week, and that he was going to call everyone. He texted me on Sunday to basically get my travel plans to kind of know when he was able to call me. So I was expecting it at some point on Monday night.
That was really the only -- all the indication that I got. There was nothing that swayed me to believe that I was going to be picked or there was nothing that was telling me that I wasn't going to be picked. I was on the edge of the fence. I didn't know where I was going. I was going to be fine with it either way. I'm still young, and I feel like I may have some more chances to play on the Ryder Cup team, but I also thought being able to play early in my career would be beneficial and would be an awesome experience, especially after two Walker Cups that I've played.
I actually went out to dinner with Bubba Watson, later to find out he was texting with Corey basically the whole time, and they were basically voting and spending that time picking the final guys on the team. So he's sitting across the table from me while he's -- basically the whole team is deciding on what's going on.
Ended up getting back to the hotel room, and my dad and I were actually playing some PlayStation. I bring my PlayStation with me. It's a great way to kill some time on the road.
Anyways, about 9:30 rolled around, and a bit of suspense because I wasn't sure, like I said, when he was going to call. And it got later in the night, and I was like, Corey is staying up late tonight. Finally got the call at 9:30, and the conversation started out very short, just asked what I was up to, what I had done for the night, and then basically went right into saying, hey, would you like to be a part of the U.S. Ryder Cup team.
I didn't have to think about that too much. Told him I'd love to, and it went from there to basically spending some time figuring out some details for the weeks upcoming. You know, obviously I was going to have some media obligations, made that conference call yesterday morning, but nothing that was too much of a burden.
It's pretty cool to have the opportunity to go over there and definitely looking forward to it.

Q. You had said at the start of the year kind of quietly that really was one of your goals, to make the Ryder Cup team, which seemed like a pretty lofty goal for a new guy. But now that it's worked out, how satisfying is that?
RICKIE FOWLER: Yeah, like you said, through probably up until I finished second at Waste Management, it wasn't really on my radar screen that the Ryder Cup was a real possibility. So like I said, up until I finished second at Waste Management, then I kind of moved up on some points lists. I had actually never looked at the points list early on and knew if I kept playing well I may have a chance. So it was an outside -- it was one of my last goals, or obviously one of my first ones was to play well and secure my card for the 2011 season, and we kind of just started picking off our goals. The one that's kind of left out right now is the win, or multiple wins, but we still need to get the first one first.

Q. Did Corey say whether he's going to have hats in your size?
RICKIE FOWLER: I haven't heard any indications on hats. There's no orange in the line I don't think. But I am going to get a little haircut. It's getting a bit long for me right now. So who knows, I may have Peter Uihlein have the hat reminder next to us, and maybe we'll video him giving me a haircut next week.

Q. When did you find out that Bubba was actually communicating back and forth with Corey about you?
RICKIE FOWLER: This was after I got picked. Later that night once Bubba knew that I got picked, he called me -- actually he texted me first and asked if I got -- what I was doing, if I got a phone call. I said, "maybe," just kind of messing around with him. He called me, and he's like, you know at dinner I was texting Corey the whole time. We were trying to figure out who was going to be on the team.
What was cool about the whole situation is that Corey brought in all the assistants and all the team members to basically help him out pick the last four guys, which I thought was pretty cool, because it makes the player -- well, the players basically pick their own team in a way. Obviously Corey makes the final decision.
So like I said, I had no indication to believe that I was going to be on the team or off the team. I was kind of sitting there teetering back and forth on top of the fence.

Q. You've seen the other 11 that are on the team. Do you have any idea who you think you would be best to be paired with?
RICKIE FOWLER: Not yet. The main focus was getting on the team first. There are a few guys that may stand out a little bit more than most right now, but that's kind of my first job that Corey asked of me was to kind of pick and choose a few here and there that I feel like I might be able to play better with or whatever. But really when I think about it, playing in Walker Cup and stuff, I feel like I can kind of fit with anyone's game and find a way to play with different guys.
I guess I'm going to be a bit of a rover, and I told Corey, for the most part, I'll play with anyone, whoever you feel like I fit best with, but I'll give him a few that I think may fit me better.

Q. Out of the rookie class that's in there, I think fourball and foursomes, you may be the only one that's ever played fourball and foursomes in any kind of competitive match out of all the other guys.
RICKIE FOWLER: Dustin maybe -- I think Dustin and Overton. Overton played Walker Cup.

Q. But not as much as you.
RICKIE FOWLER: Yeah. Dustin and Overton just played the one Walker Cup apiece, so I think all of them have a little bit of experience. I've played the two, which I loved. I love playing in the team events. They're a lot of fun.
We'll get over there, and I'm sure we'll narrow it down to a few guys and play a bit with each other and kind of figure out what's working best. It's a great team. Like you said, there's a few rookies, but we've also got some great veterans on the team. I think we're going to work well together.

Q. Can this golf course play to your strengths this weekend?
RICKIE FOWLER: I think so. As I said, you've got to drive it well to have a look at a lot of these pins. The greens are going to be tough from the fairways, and today they're already a little bit firm. I feel like I've been striking the ball well this year, and driving the ball has been a better part of my game. So I feel like I have a good chance of getting around the course well.
But it's more about me going and playing well. If I play well, it's a lot easier than missing fairways and trying to get up-and-down all day.

Q. I'd like to ask you about two different holes, the par-3 12th hole, and also No. 15, the par-5. I just wonder if you can kind of take us through what your strategy might be walking up to the tee there.
RICKIE FOWLER: I'm trying to remember the holes right now. I think I birdied 12 today, my third hole of the day. I can't remember what it looks like, though.

Q. The par-3, downhill.
RICKIE FOWLER: Okay, yeah. I remember I hit a good 4-iron in there -- all these par-3s out here are long. That hole is going to be middle of the green and take your two-putt and walk away. There's not really any of the pins that you can get at that I know of. Obviously I haven't seen the pins before, but the pro-am the pin was in the middle, so it worked out well. But with the greens if they're going to stay firm and the wind keeps blowing a little bit and dries them out, it's middle of the green and two-putt and walk away.
Then 15, the par-5, today I drove it in the bunker so I couldn't go for it. But it is a reachable par-5. For the most part if I have a chance at getting around the green, I'm going to go for it, and I think most of the guys do have a chance. On here it says it's 526 yards, so I feel like most of the field should have a chance at going at it.

Q. What PlayStation game were you and your dad playing and who was actually winning at the time?
RICKIE FOWLER: Well, my dad is not very good at video games. We're working him up on it. We were playing MX vs. ATV Reflex, which is my way of riding dirt bikes on the road.

Q. Off-roading kind of cycling stuff?
RICKIE FOWLER: Yeah, it's basically a dirt bike racing game. I usually play that or Dirt 2, which is a rally car off-road racing game.
I think I have Tiger Woods 2010. I don't have the Ryder Cup one yet, which I probably should pick up. I think Celtic Manor is on there. Maybe I'll get a few practice rounds in. I know Bubba has been playing it, so maybe he and I will get a few practice rounds in together.

Q. Will you take it over with you?
RICKIE FOWLER: I don't think so, just because I think most of the luggage will be waiting there for us. I think we're traveling over pretty light, plus I'm not sure if the connections will work over there.
NELSON SILVERIO: Rickie Fowler, thank you.

End of FastScripts

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