Rickie Fowler didn't always dream of playing golf. Before he seriously picked up a golf club, he was riding a motocross bike in California. However, a serious accident at the age of 14 changed his life forever. On June 7, golf balling shared a post on Instagram highlighting this lesser-known chapter of Fowler's journey.The caption of this post reads:"Rickie Fowler used to be a motocross rider before an accident ended his competitive career. A few weeks before tryouts for his high school golf team, Fowler broke three bones in his foot in a motocross accident. He decided to focus on golf at age 14 and toned down his riding, no longer doing freestyle tricks or competitive racing. However, he still enjoys riding occasionally and says it’s part of what makes him the golfer he is today." View this post on Instagram Instagram PostBorn in Murrieta, California, Fowler grew up in a household where racing was a tradition. His father, Rod Fowler, was an amateur bike racer who famously competed in the 1986 Baja 1000, an off-road race. Fowler began riding motorcycles when he was just 3 years old. By the age of 5, he was performing 15-foot jumps on his dirt bike. However, at 14, while riding in the desert with friends, Fowler launched off a blind jump.Meanwhile, another rider was heading straight toward him mid-air. To avoid a collision, Fowler veered off-course and crashed violently. As a result, his foot broke in three places, and his left knee was shattered.After months of recovery, when Fowler entered DMurrieta Valley High School, he committed entirely to golf. In 2006, he was named Southern California Junior Player of the Year, and a year later, he enrolled at Oklahoma State University. Fowler quickly made a name for himself by winning the Ben Hogan Award as the best college golfer in the U.S. in 2008. As of now, Rickie Fowler has recently qualified for the Open 2025.Rickie Fowler earned the Open Championship spot after a strong Memorial performanceIn the 2025 Memorial tournament, Rickie Fowler finished tied for seventh. After which, the six-time PGA Tour winner earned a coveted spot in the 2025 Open Championship at Royal Portrush. In an ASAP sports interview, Fowler talked about this following his Sunday round:"Well, we're heading the right way. This week still could have been a lot better, but a definite positive is going over to Portrush. That's one I've wanted on the schedule. I had a great time when we were there the last and had a decent showing as well. So, links golf's my favorite, Portrush is a great spot, so excited for that opportunity.”Fowler finished 71st in the Major last year but aims to return to the Portrush. Though he shared T7 at the Memorial Tournament with Brand Snedeker at 1-under, it was Fowler who clinched the open spot via a world ranking tiebreaker. He stood at no. 124 heading into Memorial Week, far ahead of Snedeker's no. 430.