Rickie Fowler returns from injury with an eye on the FedExCup title

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. – Rickie Fowler was careful not to rush back into action after injuring his right oblique muscle. He’s returned just in time to guard his berth in the TOUR Championship and keep his FedExCup hopes alive.

After sitting out the first two events of the Playoffs, Fowler is 26th in the FedExCup standings with 1,302 points. He’s 97 points ahead of No. 30 Gary Woodland.

“It's one of the reasons I wanted to try and get back early enough to where we can secure a spot for East Lake. We have some work to do this week and I think, ultimately, I'd like to not just get into East Lake but put myself in a good position to have a chance there,” Fowler said.

Fowler has qualified for the TOUR Championship in three of the past four seasons. He missed East Lake by a single shot in the other (2016).

Fowler fell nine spots in the FedExCup standings after sitting out the first two Playoffs events because of the injury that hampered him during the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational and PGA Championship. He finished in the top 20 of both events even though the injury hurt worst at an inopportune time: the middle of his downswing.

“I remember exactly when and where I was, seventh tee, 6-iron at Akron on Saturday and I had felt a little bit of maybe discomfort there leading into it but that was where I really felt it and played through it Saturday there and Sunday and then tried to rest and recover as much as I could going to the PGA,” Fowler said.

He shot a first-round 65 at Bellerive and started the final round in third place, just three shots back of Brooks Koepka. Fowler faded to 12th-place with a final-round 71, though.

“I kind of had to go into somewhat protection mode. I was taped up fairly good to help make sure I wasn't going to stress that area too much,” he said. “We managed our way around I felt like the best we could. It was nice to be in the mix but, unfortunately, we didn't have a hundred percent.”

Fowler spent the past three weeks rehabbing the injury with heat, ice and a laser machine. He considered returning at last week’s Dell Technologies Championship until hearing wisdom passed down from Davis Love III, who said, “No one has ever regretted coming back too late.”

Fowler still felt discomfort when he tried swinging a club two weeks ago. He played 72 holes last week to simulate an event but didn’t feel he’d have time to adequately prepare for the Dell Technologies Championship.

He has played Aronimink at the 2010 and 2011 Quicken Loans National. He missed the cut in the first year but shared the 54-hole lead a year later after a third-round 64. He faded to 13th with a Sunday 74, finishing eight shots behind the man with whom he’d shared the lead, Nick Watney.

Fowler finished a career-best fourth in the 2015 FedExCup. That was the year he won THE PLAYERS Championship and the second event of the FedExCup Playoffs, the Dell Technologies Championship.

He missed the TOUR Championship in 2016 after arriving at Crooked Stick ranked 28th in the FedExCup standings. He finished 59th in the 68-man field to fall to 31st, missing the TOUR Championship by 0.57 points.