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Fantasy Golf: Don’t Draft Rickie Fowler At 2015 Phoenix Open

Rickie Fowler

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Rickie Fowler was one of the best performers in golf last year. He won a few tournaments and was the only golfer on the PGA Tour to finish in the top five at all four major tournaments. It was the first year that Fowler started to live up to his superstar potential, and he should build on that this year. However, you should avoid drafting him for the 2015 Phoenix Open.

One of the main reasons to avoid Fowler is that he is a slow starter. Last year before his meteoric rise, it looked like Fowler was going to flop again. He finished 33rd in his first tournament in the year. After that, he did not play for a month. When he came back, his tournament results were not much better as he only managed to finish 24th and 44th.

Fowler broke through with a sixth-place finish at the Shell Houston Open and a fifth-place finish at The Masters. His success did not come until April, and that qualifies him as a slow starter. Since this tournament is in late January, it doesn’t seem likely that he will have a strong finish.

Another reason to doubt Fowler’s success in Phoenix is his unfamiliarity with the tournament. This will not be the first time that he has played in Phoenix. He has had finished as a runner up before, but he did not play in this tournament in 2014. A golf course can undergo a lot of changes in two years and this could easily affect how well Fowler will be able to perform.

Couple that with players who are more comfortable with the course, and it is likely that others will put up bigger numbers than Fowler. While it is likely that Fowler will have another big season, it won’t start on Thursday in Phoenix.

Justin Broyles is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on twitter @Tweets_ByJ, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

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