"You have to think your way around it and hit" – Rickie Fowler calls Portrush a 'tricky golf course' after solid start at The Open 2025

Rickie Fowler is chasing a win at this week's 2025 Open Championship at the Royal Portrush. He carded a 2-under-par 69 score to sit in the top 10 heading into the second round of the Major championship.

During a post-round press conference, a reporter noted the 36-year-old's incredible past performance at the Royal Portrush and hinted that the prestigious golf course was a good luck charm. Rickie Fowler tied for 6th place during the 2019 edition of the Open Championship, which was played at the Northern Ireland landmark.

Fowler noted that two key elements are essential in conquering Royal Portrush. One must know the course inside and out and be able to play different shots to circumvent it. The second element is knowing when to be aggressive with shots and when to play conservatively.

Speaking on the Royal Portrush being a good fit for his playing style, Rickie Fowler said (via ASAP Sports):

"Yeah, I enjoy playing it [Royal Portrush]. I've had success on it back in 2019. It's a tricky golf course, depending on where the wind's at and what kind of weather we have. You have to think your way around it and hit -- execute still but also know when you can maybe play on the aggressive side or when you need to kind of play conservative or just stay smart and take what the course gives you."

Following the conclusion of the first round of the 2025 Open Championship, Rickie Fowler sits tied for tenth place. He shares the position with Lee Westwood, Justin Rose, and seven other players.

The second round of the 2025 Open Championship will see Rickie Fowler take on the course with Adam Scott and amateur golfer Ethan Fang. They will tee it up from the first hole at 7:08 a.m. local time.

What is Rickie Fowler's best Open Championship performance?

Rickie Fowler has played the Open Championship 13 times before. Having made the cut on 12 occasions, he still eagerly awaits his maiden tournament victory.

The PGA Tour sensation has recorded six finishes inside the top 25, three in the top 10, and two in the top five. Fowler's best finish was at the 2014 edition of the Open Championship.

He carded in rounds of 69, 69, 68, and 67 to total an impressive 15-under par 273 at the Royal Liverpool. Rickie Fowler tied for second place with Sergio Garcia. The world-class golfers were two strokes short of the winner, Rory McIlroy, who posted rounds of 66, 66, 78, and 71 to total 17-under par for the week.

About the author

Lathika is one of the newer additions to Sportskeeda’s budding golf journalism team and has brought plenty of in-game experience to the role. Having been a golfer for over 12 years now, some of her crowning achievements include winning titles on the Indian Golf Union Ladies tour and Junior Girls Amateur tour.

She currently competes in Division 1 golf in New York, and hopes to play in the U.S. Open and Chevron Championship one day. She is set to cover the 2025 Ryder Cup as well. She is currently pursuing a degree in Business Administration and Management, and holds a Sports Marketing certification from Northwestern University, which helped her learn to draft press releases and ultimately transition into journalism.

Lathika has thus developed a knowledge base that allows her to view golf from both player, spectator and media lenses, enabling her to bring statistics, insights and an understanding of fan emotion together in her copies. She only uses verified information from reliable sources like the PGA TOUR.

Her favorite golfers are Nelly Korda and Tiger Woods, both for their playing style as well as their mental strength. Much of her time away from work is spent playing golf, but she also enjoys spending time with her family and friends, and learning new hobbies or upskilling.

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Edited by Samya Majumdar