Masters 2018: Rickie Fowler ready to contend on Sunday

Rickie Fowler enters this week's Masters as one of the most beloved golfers on the PGA Tour, but he still needs to win his first major championship.

Fowler is no stranger to contending at Augusta National, collecting three top-12 finishes in his last four attempts, but he hopes to have a legitimate chance to win the Masters on Sunday.

"I've been fortunate to be in contention here a couple times, and Saturdays and Sundays are special here when you do get that chance to be in there," Fowler said Monday during his press conference. "It's about time we have a real shot.

"I think we put ourselves in a great position last year going into the back nine. I didn't have the back nine that I wanted, but it's fun to be in the mix when the wind starts to die down and it starts to get really quiet and then you get the loud roars."

Despite struggling early in 2018, Fowler is full of confidence heading into the Masters. He believes the course suits his eye, and there are plenty of birdie opportunities for him.

"I know that I can hit every shot that I need to on this golf course, I can putt well, and that's obviously needed here," Fowler said. "The big thing is everything that happens prior to actually pulling the trigger. I need to make sure I'm in the right frame of mind and trusting what we're trying to do and not second‑guessing anything.

"So if I am able to do that, really commit to the line and the swings that we're trying to make at that exact time, then it's going to be a good week."
The old saying "always the bridesmaid" has pertained to Fowler in major championships. He's watched friends Justin Thomas, Sergio Garcia, Bubba Watson and Jordan Spieth all recently win majors, and he's always there on the final green to greet them.

"It's fun to see your friends win," Fowler said. "It's fun to see them play well. I want to beat my friends when they're playing well. Like you said, it is a motivation factor in a way. Seeing JT and Jordan and Bubba, seeing Sergio win here last year, it is fun to see.

"But it also is kind of a kick in the butt to get yourself to kind of keep pushing forward. And you want to be in that position and you want your buddies to, whether they decide to be there or not, it's kind of a nice bonus, a nice touch. But it's fun to have the bragging rights over your friends."

With so many iconic moments produced at Augusta National throughout the years, it's hard to pick just one as the most memorable, but Fowler thought Woods' chip on the par-3 16th green during the final round of the 2005 Masters was one of the more special moments in tournament history.

"I mean, quite a few when you start kind of looking back. One that I remember pretty well, I mean, Tiger's chip from long left on 16, I feel like everyone's kind of gone down there and at least looked at it. I've tried it. It's pretty impressive," Fowler said