Rickie Fowler battled a 102-degree fever before the round, then rebounded with a 63 to move back into contention at the Truist Championship.
Rickie Fowler’s road to a stunning turnaround at the Truist Championship began with something he didn’t have the luxury to ignore: a serious fever.
The PGA TOUR player arrived in Charlotte, N.C. with confidence after consecutive top-10 finishes at Signature Events, and his form appeared to be climbing. But a sinus infection temporarily stalled that momentum, and the struggle showed in his opening 74.
Before the first round, Fowler fought a 102-degree fever, and the impact followed him onto the course. He later described moments when he wasn’t sure he would be able to convert shots from just a few feet, underscoring how physically taxing the illness had been.
That backdrop makes what came next feel even more dramatic.. Fowler produced a second-round 63—exactly eleven strokes better than his opening score—to vault back into contention at the Truist Championship.. He outperformed five players on Thursday’s card, and the improved scoring moved him up the leaderboard quickly.
After the 63, Fowler is tied for 8th at 5-under 137, only four strokes behind the lead group led by Sungjae Im. The round also carried a clear distinction: his 63 was the low score of the day by four shots.
The statistics and shot patterns point to a fuller comeback than just one good swing sequence. After hitting only four fairways in the opening round, Fowler missed just three fairways on Friday, a shift that helped set up far more scoring opportunities.
He also ranked near the top in a dangerous two-part combination—strong approach play and effective putting.. Fowler was second in both Strokes Gained: Approach-the-Green and Strokes Gained: Putting during the second round. suggesting the illness may have dulled execution early. while his recovery allowed him to control the round from tee to green.
Quail Hollow holds added weight for Fowler, and he’s already shown how meaningful the course can be for him. It was the site of his first PGA TOUR victory in 2012, and he has seven top-25 finishes in 11 Truist Championship starts at Quail.
His history at Quail Hollow also includes a T5 result in the 2017 PGA Championship held there, reinforcing that the course isn’t merely familiar—it’s been a place where he’s translated skill into results.
This week’s performance arrives after a distinct shift in his season trajectory.. The report noted that it was the first time Fowler had produced consecutive top-10 finishes since the opening two events of the FedExCup Playoffs—an early surge that pushed him to 32nd in the FedExCup and earned him eligibility for all Signature Events this season.
Even with that earlier momentum, his current place in the FedExCup standings shows how quickly the rankings can move in golf. He is 30th in the FedExCup thanks to six top-25 finishes across 10 starts, and his recent form suggests he’s trying to stabilize and build on what’s working.
Feeling healthier again, Fowler appears intent on turning Friday’s breakthrough into sustained momentum.. When a fever and sinus infection disrupt preparation. the ability to recover physically—and then translate that recovery into precision—can determine whether a promising week becomes a run toward contention.
Rickie Fowler Truist Championship PGA TOUR fever recovery Quail Hollow leaderboard