Rickie Fowler: America's golden boy talks about his prisoner of war grandfather and battles with Rory McIlroy

Rickie Fowler is arguably USA's most dangerous member at Ryder Cup
The 25-year-old has enjoyed remarkable consistency this season
But American has been outplayed by Rory McIlroy throughout the year
Fowler says he enjoys battles with the Northern Irishman
Fowler also talks about poisoner of war grandfather

Behind Rickie Fowler’s sunny disposition and colourful outfits lies a remarkable story of hard times and sacrifice; a tale spanning three generations that is a testament to the human capacity for aspiration and forgiveness.

Consider the 25-year-old, who is the endearing poster boy of this American Ryder Cup team, posing happily with his ‘USA’ haircut and in the cockpit with the pilot before the flight over on Sunday. Now think of the grandfather of Japanese heritage who introduced him to the game. He was hauled off with a number of relatives at the age of six to an internment camp on America’s Pacific coast during the Second World War.

Fowler was not much older when he learned about their fate. It instilled a ferocious work ethic and an unquenchable desire to make it at his chosen sport, but without the embittered core found so often in such descendants.

Rickie Fowler is thought by many, including Rory McIlroy, to be the American's star man at the Ryder Cup

Fowler's father used to provide free sand to a local driving range so that his son could practise for free

MY RYDER CUP MEMORIES

Images of Medinah are currently everywhere but in the media centre they conjure up thoughts of sweat and panic.

That’s because on the Sunday before the singles matches every British newspaper had written first-edition holding pieces that basically read like obituary notices for Jose Maria Olazabal and his underachieving European team. So began a day every bit as frantic as the one taking place on the course, as the passing deadlines reflected the dramatically changing narrative.

For five hours I was juggling so many stories I couldn’t spare enough time even to go the bathroom. ‘Jeez, what an event, you must have had a brilliant time swanning round Medinah watching it all close-up,’ said one friend or acquaintance after another when I got home. What else can you do but smile politely?

‘I come from great stock,’ he said. ‘To know where my family came from, what they went through in the internment camps, to see what they believed as far as treating people and treating yourself and your life, that will always stay with me.’

Fowler’s stunning year would have received a lot more acclaim if it had not coincided with Rory McIlroy pipping him to win two majors. But becoming just the third man after Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods to finish in the top five of all four grand slam events in the same year hints at a rivalry with the Northern Irishman that could enrich the game for the next decade.

It is not just in their prowess on the course where the similarities lie. They are two eligible bachelors who live in mansions on the same Jupiter estate in south Florida and often practise side by side at the Bear’s Club. Both had parents who worked all hours to give their offspring a chance.

‘I didn’t come from money but my parents worked really hard to give my sister and myself opportunities to play sports and see what we were good at,’ said Fowler. ‘My mum always said that if I worked hard at my golf then I would never have to get a job. And look at me now. I’ve still never had a real job!’

Fowler's mother said she knew early on that her son was blessed with a gift and was destined to play golf

Growing up in Murrieta, California, his father Rod had a deal whereby he would provide sand and gravel from his business to a driving range and in return Rickie was given practice balls to hit. His mum Lynn worked in the office at a steel company.

‘Rickie was born to play golf,’ Lynn told USA Today this year. ‘You just knew he was blessed with some gift. By the time he was five his favourite thing was a clinic that taught the etiquette and rules of golf. There was structure to it, you couldn’t cheat and the other kids couldn’t strong arm you out of anything.’

Fowler would soon be playing matches for dollars and dimes. ‘We weren’t members of clubs or anything like that,’ he said. ‘I’d spend the money I won on better golf equipment. That was always my thing: keep focusing and try to get better. It’s still my thing now.’

It is clear Fowler relishes the idea of a rivalry with McIlroy every bit as much as the latter. ‘We’ve got to stop Rickie in that American team. He’s their talisman,’ said McIlroy on Sunday.

Fowler is up for the rivalry, both this week and beyond.

Fowler, known for his individual sense of style on the golf course, recently had USA shaved in to his hair

HOW DO THEY COMPARE

RICKIE FOWLER RORY MCILROY

25 Age 25

5ft 9in Height 5ft 10in

10st 10lb Weight 11st 6lb

10 World ranking 1

1 Tournaments won 15

0 Majors won 4

£9.3m Earnings £24m

‘There’s definitely the possibility of something big developing between us and it will not be the last time we play against each other at the Ryder Cup,’ said Fowler. ‘I made the same remark to Rory after he beat me at The Open, you know it won’t be the last time we go up against each other and a few matches at Gleneagles would be great.

‘The more times we can have some good battles, the better. We have the chance to go back and forth for a long time, though I have a little catching up to do.

'He’s got the better of me a few times. But both times I have won he has finished second, so it’s fun and the fact we’re buddies just adds to it. We can still go home and practise together and then get to the course and want to beat up on each other as bad as possible.’

Fowler and Sergio Garcia finished joint second at The Open in Hoylake behind world No 1 Rory McIlroy

Fowler was just what the sport needed when he burst on to the scene in 2009. He played in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor the following year and birdied his last four holes to halve a brilliant singles match against Edoardo Molinari. It was not long before kids at tournaments started adopting the Rickie look.

The trouble was, there were no wins to back it up. Was he all flash with little substance? Even when he defeated McIlroy in a play-off to claim his first PGA Tour title at the Wells Fargo Championship in 2012, he drifted away again and failed to make the US Ryder Cup team for Medinah. His self-taught swing had too many quirks to work consistently.

Teaming up with Butch Harmon has changed all that.

‘I knew it was going to be a tough learning curve,’ said Fowler. ‘The swing stuff worked quite well but I was neglecting my short game and missing cuts. It was tough to get any momentum. It all started to turn around in Houston the week before the Masters and then I had a great time at Augusta and it’s just gone on from there.

Butch Harmon, Fowler's instructor, has been credited with finally getting the best out of the American

‘I felt like I played better in each major. Obviously no-one was going to catch Martin Kaymer at the US Open but I gave Rory a little run for his money at The Open. As for the PGA, that’s the one where I look back and it hurts. I played so well and had a true chance of winning.’

He was not best pleased with how it all panned out. McIlroy was allowed to play his second shot to the green at the par-five 18th at Valhalla in the near-darkness, even though Fowler and Phil Mickelson had still to finish up ahead, with the title on the line. But he is far too much of a sportsman to make anything of it.

Now he is back on these shores and he can hardly wait for the opening matches on Friday. His love of golf in these isles was forged at the Walker Cup in 2007, where he claimed three points from four matches and many thought he overshadowed Rory on his home patch at Royal County Down. Then there was Celtic Manor in 2010.