Rickie Fowler wins at Korean Open

By SI Golf Group
October 11, 2011

Walker: Moving halfway around the world, Rickie Fowler notched his first professional win at the Korean Open. The talented (and highly marketable) Fowler has not had a win on the PGA Tour and has not acquitted himself well when he’s been in the mix on Sunday. Does this win help Fowler get closer to winning on the PGA Tour?

Godich: Rickie has to start somewhere. Winning is winning. That said, everyone expected his performance at the Ryder Cup last year to be a career-changer.

Herre: He played great on Sunday to beat Rory McIlroy. That has to be a big confidence boost.

Shipnuck: It helps. Every win helps. And when you dust your nemesis Rory McIlroy, it helps that much more.

Dusek: For Fowler, I think it's huge. Some people might think a win in Asia doesn't count as much as a PGA Tour win, and maybe it shouldn't, but Fowler has now tasted a win in an event that had some quality pros in it, including McIlroy. He'll gain confidence from it for sure, and that's what will help him the most.

Wei: I agree that just winning was important for Rickie. I don't care if he won on the Nationwide Tour or the Canadian Tour, he just needed to win something.

Bamberger: How can a win be anything other than helpful? And to win in a country that is so different from the United States? When your game travels, that's a strong sign. I'm guessing it will do a lot for his confidence.

Van Sickle: Winning can only help, but it’s a myth that one win will open the floodgates. It happens for a few players, but they're the exceptions. Rickie's win also puts that much more pressure on Couples. Now he took Tiger instead of the PGA champ and Fowler, who's got a win in October.

Hack: Rickie received tons of congrats on Twitter, from former Buffalo Bills (and Oklahoma State) running back Thurman Thomas to LPGA’er Michelle McGann. Besting Rory by shots six means something to me. I'll go on record for multiple Rickie wins on the PGA Tour in 2012.

Van Sickle: Multiple wins for Rickie in 2012 would be a great thing for golf, the Tour, the media and the fans. He's already a star. Now he just needs the resume.

Gorant: Tell him to stay away from those Bills. Bad mojo when it comes to winning anything that counts.

Hack: This could be the year all that bad Bills mojo fades away. Wait, am I on the right message board?

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