How did Rickie Fowler perform in Round 1 of the 2025 John Deere Classic?

Rickie Fowler opened his 2025 John Deere Classic campaign with a strong round of 6-under-par 65 at TPC Deere Run. Starting on the 10th hole, Fowler made early gains with birdies on the 10th and 11th before encountering a bogey on the par-3 12th. He steadied his play through the remainder of the back nine, adding a birdie at the par-5 17th to make the turn at even-par 36.

Fowler found his rhythm on the front nine, carding five birdies without a single dropped shot. His highlights included back-to-back birdies on the 2nd and 3rd holes and another pair on the 5th and 6th.

He closed with pars on the final three holes to finish at 29 on the front. Fowler hit 6-under for the round and was among the early leaders at the end of Thursday's first round, setting himself up well for the remainder of the tournament.

Here is Rickie Fowler’s hole-by-hole performance at the opening round of the 2025 John Deere Classic:

Back Nine (IN):

Hole 10: 4 (Birdie)

Hole 11: 3 (Birdie)

Hole 12: 5 (Bogey)

Hole 13: 4 (Par)

Hole 14: 5 (Bogey)

Hole 15: 4 (Par)

Hole 16: 3 (Par)

Hole 17: 4 (Birdie)

Hole 18: 4 (Par)

Front Nine (OUT):

Hole 1: 4 (Birdie)

Hole 2: 3 (Eagle)

Hole 3: 2 (Birdie)

Hole 4: 4 (Par)

Hole 5: 3 (Birdie)

Hole 6: 3 (Birdie)

Hole 7: 2 (Birdie)

Hole 8: 4 (Par)

Hole 9: 4 (Par)

Total Score: 65 (-6)

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Rickie Fowler hoping to break his winless streak at the John Deere Classic

Rickie Fowler is set to compete at the 2025 John Deere Classic following a missed cut at last week’s Rocket Classic in Detroit. His most recent PGA Tour win came at that very event in 2023. However, he has not been able to match that success this season and arrives at TPC Deere Run aiming to end a year-long winless stretch.

Currently ranked 111th in the Official World Golf Rankings, the 36-year-old enters the John Deere Classic with 55-1 odds, according to SportsLine. That places him tied for 10th among the betting favorites in the 156-player field, alongside Kurt Kitayama. Several players come in with stronger odds, including Ben Griffin, Jason Day, Denny McCarthy, Si Woo Kim, Chris Kirk, and recent Rocket Classic champion Aldrich Potgieter.

Rickie Fowler’s 2025 PGA Tour campaign has included mixed results. He opened the year with a T21 finish at The American Express and recorded his best showing of the season with a T7 at The Memorial Tournament. In total, he has posted five top-25 finishes but only one top-10.

His performances at major championships have also fallen short of expectations. He missed the cut at the PGA Championship and did not qualify for either the Masters or the U.S. Open. Fowler is scheduled to play in The Open Championship in July, but heads into it without strong recent form.