Top 20 Golfers for 2012 Majors: No. 16 Rickie Fowler

No. 16: Rickie Fowler

Born: Dec. 13, 1988, Murietta, Calif.  | Career PGA Tour Wins: 0 | 2011 Wins (Worldwide): 1 | 2011 Earnings (PGA Tour): $2,084,681 | World Ranking: 36

Brandel Chamblee's Take:

One might wonder how Rickie could end up on a list of potential major winners for 2012 when he has never won a tournament on the PGA Tour, or how he could be ranked ahead of players who have far more experience and success in the game’s biggest events. The answer lies not so much in the stats but in the feeling one gets when watching him play, a feeling that was validated in the fall of 2011 in Asia when he won the Kolon Korea Open by six shots over Rory McIlroy. His undeniable talent is much respected by his peers, and his ability to embrace adversity was evident in the difficult conditions of the final round of last year’s British Open, where he finished tied for fifth. In any one event it is very difficult to predict a winner, but in predicting success over a career for a player of Rickie’s talent and attitude, it’s not hard to look like a soothsayer.

Major Championship Résumé
Starts: 8
Wins: 0

2011 Performance:
Masters - T38
U.S. Open - Cut
British Open - T5
PGA Championship - T51

Best Career Finishes: 
Masters - T38 (2011)
U.S. Open - T60 (2008)
British Open - T5 (2011)
PGA Championship - T51 (2011)
Top-10 Finishes: 1
Top-25 Finishes: 2
Missed Cuts: 2

—Brandel Chamblee is lead analyst for the Golf Channel. Be sure to follow him @ChambleeBrandel on Twitter.