John Deere’s signature incident influencer Rickie Fowler

Rickie Fowler has not made any effort on TPC Deere Run for 15 years. At that time, he was a 21-year-old star in the PGA Tour, everything ahead. Now, he is a 36-year-old father with two children, returning to four cities to find the best of his own game.

Fowler did not compete in John Deere’s classics because he usually plays the Scottish Open in Genesis, then plays the Open Championship, then takes a break and then takes a break.

But as the official world golf ranking era (H/T Owgr Guru Nosferatu on X), Fowler returned to four cities to hope to earn much-needed FedEx Cup points as the season declines.

The iconic activity model of the PGA Tour has been polarized early in its existence, but one of its early achievements is to have players like Fowler, Jason Day and Max Homa throw themselves into courts like John Deere, who may have skipped Scottish Open and Open Championships in the past, and they may have skipped.

John Deere’s classics are always in a volatile position on the schedule. It once held a week before the open championship, which made most top players clear as they plan to be the oldest major in golf. John Deere rose for a week when the Scottish Open became a co-approved event, but his position in the calendar still haunts it.

But with only five games left before the FedEx Cup playoffs begin, John Deere becomes a place for players like Fowler, Homa and Tom Kim who need FedEx Cup points.

Only the top 70 are in the FedEx Cup playoffs and into the top 50 next year’s signature game, with points high for those who haven’t planned the season yet. Fowler ranks 72nd in the rankings. Homa is 122 and Kim is 90. Day is currently 27, but John Deere’s devoured score could help him strengthen his prospects for the top 30 playoffs. Sungjae Im, No. 24, was also on the scene.

Fowler, who usually plays the Scots, chose to play John Deere and skip the Scots before opening the championship. Fowler said his decision was not based on his FedEx Cup points, but he also noted that he had adjusted the last two regular season events (3M and Wyndham) in case he chose to enter.

“I’m basically going to play here or the Scots, which is one of the reasons I haven’t played in front of the British in a while and then in front of the Scots,” Fowler said on Tuesday at TPC Deere Run. “I’ve been playing the Scots in front of the British. That’s just my schedule. This year, I feel like unlocking the potential of the back end, the British, and playing 3m and/or Greensboro, I think I’ve met the Scots in front of the British and played for three weeks in a row, Travelers, Rockets, Rockets, and at Deere, and it feels better.”

Asked about the impact of the signature incident on events like John Deere, Fowler said it was too early, but the fields that acknowledge that “normal” incidents were stronger.

“You see men playing more, what the event means, what the meaning is until everything is resolved, or adjust or change with the signature, regular and opposite fields,” Fowler said. “So we’ll see where it goes. The current state, you know, if you’re looking at the event structure, that’s there – I don’t want to say standard, but there’s an elevated normal PGA Tour event, and then the opposite fields.”

“The normal events seem to be getting stronger and stronger, just that men may play more games and things fit in the schedule. Then it’s hard. I think that forces guys to maybe play more.”

John Deere will also see several players hoping to find the points they need to get stuck in town. The critical value of the PGA Tour will be fully tax-free from 125 players to 100 times in 2026. This is Fowler, who wants to do the Lean Tour, and both on many events and cards, like it. While the signature event model creates a layered PGA Tour event, Fowler believes that there are fewer activities around professionals and set up schedules, and that players will give each PGA Tour event a high feel, as the supply will be lower.

“I feel like there is a need for fewer events, fewer cards, tours get higher, and more products – from what you’re talking about top events to lower levels or opposite live events, it’s more continuity,” Fowler said last week on Rocket Classic. “You know, sometimes it’s hard, you have to stand out from the current situation, but I don’t think the PGA Tour should have a secondary or opposite field event. I think the PGA Tour product is a PGA Tour product. So there are a lot of things you can play, but for me, the PGA Tour should be a PGA Tour, it should be a PGA Tour, it’s not necessarily a game or a game on the other hand.

“Then you’re talking about scheduling your time and whether your position is elevated or professional. Professionals and players are core events or large events in the schedule, while golf fans are non-golf fans, and that’s what they know. They know what is. What they are. All these different events.”

Fowler missed Rocket Classic’s layoffs, with only a top ten this season, which is in the memorial game. He has three other top 25, but ranks in the top 100 near the game, putters and green around.

Fowler once said that he felt his game was “trend” in the right direction, but his lack of consistent quality performance made him search for places he hadn’t played in a decade and a half. If he finds what he’s been looking for, Fowler can start opening the door for the 2026 signature event without relying on sponsor waivers, he’s won six this season.

Either way, the people at TPC Deere Run will benefit from getting Fowler back for the first time in 15 years. They may be partially grateful for the signature event model.