in action during Walker Cup
2009
World
Amateur
of the Year
on the Nationwide Tour
15.Sept.09 Rickie said farewell to amateur golf with a perfect 4/0/0 match performance at Merion in his second Walker Cup. Few amateurs in history have accumulated his accolades, victories and track record before age 21.
I had the opportunity to personally witness Rickie's final nine holes at the 07 Sunnehanna Amateur,
his first big amateur event win. His game is solid throughout the bag and he is talented but the thing that stood out for me was his quiet confidence and level disposition. Fowler is one cool customer in the heat of battle. He has the "it" you can't learn or practice that seems common among the greats.
He also beat me to the plane on the same flight
home and to this day, I don't know how.
We'll see how he does as a professional but I doubt it will be long before he is packin' a PGA Tour card & vying for Majors. He goes out as an amateur as a
2-time victorious Walker Cupper (7/0/1 record), Palmer Cupper, 2-time first team collegiate All American, 08 Hogan Award winner (09 Finalist), 2-time AJGA first team All American, 08 World
Oklahoma State Freshman
06 HP Junior Champ
World Amateurs of
the Year:
09 - Rickie Fowler
of California
08 - Danny Lee
of New Zealand
07 - Jamie Lovemark
of California
| 09 | Walker Cup (W/H/L) | 4/0/0 |
| 09 | United States Amateur | 64's |
| 09 | Childrens Hospital (Nationwide Tour) | 2nd |
| 09 | United States Public Links | 16's |
| 09 | US PubLinks - medal | T2 |
| 09 | Sunnehanna Amateur (PA, USA) | 3rd |
| 09 | US Open | Qualifier |
| 09 | NCAA D1 National Championship | T3 |
| 09 | NCAA D1 South Central Regional | 12th |
| 09 | USA Collegiate D1 pre-Regionals rank | 6th |
| 09 | FBR Open (PGA Tour) | T58 |
| 09 | Master of the Amateurs (Australia) | 2nd |
| 08 | World Team Amateur (Australia) | Champion |
| 08 | United States Amateur | 16's |
| 08 | Western Amateur (MI, USA) | T19 |
| 08 | United States Public Links | 16's |
| 08 | US PubLinks - medal | 2nd |
| 08 | US Open | T60 |
| 08 | Sunnehanna Amateur (PA, USA) | Champion |
| 08 | US Open | Qualifier |
| 08 | NCAA Div I National Championship | T4 |
| 08 | USA Collegiate D1 pre-Regionals rank | 1st |
| 08 | Big 12 Championship | Champion |
| 07 | Walker Cup (W/H/L) | 3/0/1 |
| 07 | United States Amateur | T65 |
| 07 | Western Amateur (MI, USA) | Quarters |
| 07 | Western Amateur Medal | T3 |
| 07 | Players Amateur (SC, USA) | Champion |
| 07 | Northeast Amateur (RI, USA) | T11 |
| 07 | Sunnehanna Amateur (PA, USA) | Champion |
| 07 | Jones Cup (GA, USA) | T11 |
| 06 | Polo Junior Classic (USA) | Finalist |
| 06 | International Junior (Japan) | T4 |
| 06 | PING Invitational Junior (OK, USA) | 3rd |
| 06 | California State Open | T6 |
| 06 | United States Amateur | Quarters |
| 06 | US Amateur Qualifying | Medalist |
| 06 | HP Junior (USA) | Champion |
| 06 | Rolex T of C (Junior) USA | T5 |
| 06 | FootJoy Boys Invitational (USA) | 5th |
| 06 | Thunderbird Int'l Junior (AZ, USA) | T7 |
Amateur Champion, 2-time Sunnehanna Amateur Champ, 2-time US Open qualifier,
07 Players Amateur Champion, 08 Big 12 Conference Champion & Player of the Year along with his other world ranking point finishes since May of 06 chronicled to left.
The top gun amateur worldwide each calendar year is primarily determined by who was ranked #1 in the SPWAR the most weeks within each year. In cases where no player was #1 for a majority of weeks, then it gets a bit more complicated but is essentially determined by highest average ranking with adjustments such as for amateurs turning pro before the end of the calendar year.
In Fowler's case, he was #1 for 22 weeks & #2 the first 13 weeks of 09. He was also #1 for 7 weeks in 08 that is not relevant to 09. Based on his SPWAR points accumulated until turning pro, no other amateur worldwide could catch Rickie before late November at the soonest. No other amateur could be #1 more than 17 weeks in 09. Therefore, Fowler's 09 World Amateur of the Year status is certain as of the moment he turned pro.
Nick Taylor of Canada assumed the top ranking when Fowler came out. He started the year ranked around #10 and has steadily moved up until hitting #2 when 09 Hogan Award Winner, Kyle Stanley turned pro and remained there until assuming the top spot. Danny Lee was #1 until after the Masters when he turned pro.
Scratch Players Founder, Fred Solomon
Previous SPWAR #1's since inception
through week ending 13.Sept.09:
37 weeks - Jamie Lovemark of California
35 weeks - Danny Lee of New Zealand
29 weeks - Rickie Fowler of California
24 weeks - Pablo Martin of Spain
two week - Dustin Johnson of South Carolina
one week - Nick Taylor of British Columbia
one week - Billy Horschel of Florida
one week - Chris Wood of England