Is Rickie Fowler the New Sergio Garcia?

[RJH999]

You're lucky I don't ban you from this thread for that.

Pshhh old people just be playa hating. :-P :beer:

[BENtSwing]

Completely different than Sergio...much better demeanor and attitude at his age (as others have said). You can tell that golf is very important to him, but it's not "everything."...I guess you could say he's much more balanced than Sergio was at this age.

[Hardballs]

I think both Fowler and McIlroy are both good ambassadors for the sport, both trying hard to be the best they can be in a dignified manner without letting ego or money distract them! Rory is reaping the success he deserves and I'm pretty sure Rickie will too! Sergio, on the other hand, has not handled himself as well in the past, has lacked the likeability both RM and RF have, but seems to have realised this and has definitely turned a corner in my eyes! I too don't like to make comparisons, so I won't, they all deserve their own place, but there are always career similarities throughout the era's so it's easy to do!

[notechno]

Rickie's hats wouldn't have looked out of place on Jack or Lee, just sayin.

Funny you should mention that. After I wrote the post I saw  a piece from maybe the '60s and Jack was wearing a hat that looked like a highway billboard.

[Big C]

Just saw this poll. 25 to 0 tally in favor of "no" - I'd say that's pretty conclusive!

What bothers me about this poll and this type of question altogether is that it seems to reflect a warped view of sports and athletics these days. The summary version of that viewpoint is that if you don't win, you're almost better off coming in 30th (and being off the radar completely) vs. coming in 2nd (and being viewed as a "choker" or "bridesmaid"). Instead of congratulating Fowler on one of the most consistently excellent major seasons in recent memory, his success might be viewed as a character flaw to some until he actually breaks through and wins a major.

If you don't believe that, read through the Jack Nicklaus vs. Tiger thread. There are actually some posters who felt that Jack's 19 second place finishes hurt his claim as the "GOAT" vs. supporting it. Unbelievable!

[turtleback]

After Ricky's fantastic major season can he continue that form into next season & win?  Or is he going to be a Garcia type of contender?

No.  Rickie has matured far faster than Sergio did, IMO.  I didn't like the original Rickie "look at me" presentation, but I like what he has been doing with his game and with his image, so I found myself rooting for him down the stretch.

[MEfree]

What bothers me about this poll and this type of question altogether is that it seems to reflect a warped view of sports and athletics these days. The summary version of that viewpoint is that if you don't win MAJORS, you're almost better off coming in 30th (and being off the radar completely) vs. coming in 2nd (and being viewed as a "choker" or "bridesmaid"). Instead of congratulating Fowler on one of the most consistently excellent major seasons in recent memory, his success might be viewed as a character flaw to some until he actually breaks through and wins a major.

If you don't believe that, read through the Jack Nicklaus vs. Tiger thread. There are actually some posters who felt that Jack's 19 second place finishes hurt his claim as the "GOAT" vs. supporting it. Unbelievable!

Agreed with the MAJORS addition!  That was kinda my point in noting that Sergio has 28 worldwide wins but is still considered a bridesmaid as he has 4 seconds as part of his 19 major top 10s without a win.

No.  Rickie has matured far faster than Sergio did, IMO.  I didn't like the original Rickie "look at me" presentation, but I like what he has been doing with his game and with his image, so I found myself rooting for him down the stretch.

What do you mean when you say Rickie has matured far faster than Sergio.  Maybe in terms of subjective criteria like personality, but Sergio finished top 10 in all 4 majors when he was 22 and had a heck of a lot better results resume at Ricky's current age than Ricky does.

[turtleback]

What do you mean when you say Rickie has matured far faster than Sergio.  Maybe in terms of subjective criteria like personality, but Sergio finished top 10 in all 4 majors when he was 22 and had a heck of a lot better results resume at Ricky's current age than Ricky does.

I mean that right now Rickie is far more mature than Sergio (we are just a year away from his whiny petulance at the Players last year) and that therefore he must have matured faster, to blow right by Sergio.

[MEfree]

I mean that right now Rickie is far more mature than Sergio (we are just a year away from his whiny petulance at the Players last year) and that therefore he must have matured faster, to blow right by Sergio.

Fair enough.  I think Sergio matured very quickly for a male golfer, but got frustrated when the good early results were not followed by a major win or two.  I also think it is hard for us to know a guy's true personality/maturity level as the media likes taking an angle and then providing the material that backs that up.

[turtleback]

Fair enough.  I think Sergio matured very quickly for a male golfer, but got frustrated when the good early results were not followed by a major win or two.  I also think it is hard for us to know a guy's true personality/maturity level as the media likes taking an angle and then providing the material that backs that up.

I agree about the media  But my opinion of Sergio is based on his on course stuff and the words I've heard coming out of his mouth.

[Torres9]

I like Rickie a lot, he had wonderful campaign in 2014 and hope he breaks through. he still very young.

[Hammer 4]

I like Rickie a lot, he had wonderful campaign in 2014 and hope he breaks through. he still very young.

Ditto. He come off as a really nice kid, well, to me he's still a kid.. I pull for him all the time, and hope he gets a couple of wins this year, a Major would be nice.

As for Sergio, he has changed big time, for the better, I'm becoming a fan of his, cept Rickie come first..