Rickie Fowler is set to tee it up at the John Deere Classic this week.

Fowler will be desperate for a win at the John Deere Classic, or a strong week at the very least.

The 36-year-old from Murrieta, California, has really struggled over the past few years, and has just one win to his name over the past six years.

He has played 15 events on the PGA Tour this season, having recorded just one top-10 and missing two cuts.

Fowler has explained how he has struggled to motivate himself at times since his win at the Rocket Classic in 2023.

However, the six-time PGA Tour winner clearly cares about getting back to his best – he wouldn’t be at the John Deere Classic if he didn’t.

That said, his best days might actually be behind him, and if they are, could he perform a vice-captaincy role at the Ryder Cup.

He has played on five Ryder Cup teams throughout his career to date, so he certainly knows the ins and outs of what the competition entails.

Rickie Fowler responds when asked if he could be a Ryder Cup vice-captain

Keegan Bradley will have some seriously tough decisions to make throughout the course of the next couple of months.

Bradley is being urged to play on his own Ryder Cup team by numerous high-profile players right now, including the likes of Bryson DeChambeau.

Photo by Tracy Wilcox/PGA TOUR via Getty Images
If the 39-year-old does end up playing, and decides to step down from his role as captain, one of his vice-captains will have to fill that position.

And then a new vice-captain will have to be drafted in. There has been some chatter that Fowler could be handed a vice-captaincy role at the Ryder Cup in September.

He spoke to reporters ahead of the John Deere Classic on Tuesday, and responded when asked what he feels about potentially being a vice-captain at the Ryder Cup.

He said: “I haven’t heard anything on that. Obviously I’ve loved all the team events I’ve been on and been a part of.

“We’ll deal with that if it comes to that. I’m obviously happy to help out, but I know Keegan is working on trying to make his own team. He’s got some great guys at his side helping out. If they want me there, I would hope scheduling and everything would work out.

“It would be fun to be a part of. We’ll deal with that when it gets to it.“

As things stand, Fowler being part of the vice-captains team probably won’t happen. Bradley will not give up his role as captain for a start.

However, there will definitely be some kind of leadership role at Ryder Cups and Presidents Cups in the future for Fowler.

Rickie Fowler’s 2025 PGA Tour stats make for grim reading

If Fowler’s game continues to regress, he may well have to make do with a vice-captain role during team competitions in the future.

He is at the age where he is still competing against all of the top players, and that’s what the PGA of America are looking for in their future captains right now.

Fowler’s stats on the PGA Tour this season are tough to digest. How can a player of the 36-year-old’s calibre fall off this badly?

Stats
Fowler’s rank

Strokes gained off the tee
65th

Strokes gained approach
105th

Strokes gained scrambling
70th

Strokes gained putting
100th

Strokes gained total
108th

The problem for Fowler at the moment is that every single department of his game is a long way off the levels required.

It’s impossible to get all of those issues fixed at the same time.

However, it must be said that he would be a good man to have around the team-room at Bethpage Black.

Fowler is a very popular figure on the PGA Tour, and he would undoubtedly have a positive effect on Team USA if he was involved in the Ryder Cup in some kind of leadership role.