Final round of BMW Championship still important for Rickie Fowler

CARMEL, Ind. — Rickie Fowler is in a tie for 59th after three rounds of the BMW Championship at Crooked Stick Golf Club.

He’s 19 shots out of the lead.

Yet Sunday’s final round in the penultimate FedExCup Playoffs event has major implications for Fowler.

In the tournament within the tournament, only the top 30 players in the FedExCup standings at the end of Sunday will move on to The Tour Championship by Coca-Cola in two weeks — the postseason finale. Fowler is in 29th place in the projected standings.

If he doesn’t make it to Atlanta for The Tour Championship, that could jeopardize his chances of being one of Davis Love III’s four captain’s picks for the U.S. Ryder Cup squad. Love will make three of those picks on Monday and will make his final pick the night after the final round of The Tour Championship.

“I can only control what I do,” said Fowler, who has shot rounds of 75-71-71.

Earlier this year Fowler looked to be a lock to be one of the eight automatic qualifiers for the team, but his game has slipped since he failed to hold a two-shot lead with two holes to play in the Waste Management Phoenix Open in February. Fowler went on to lose in a playoff to Hideki Matsuyama and his game hasn’t been the same since.

“Obviously I’d love to get to The Tour Championship,” Fowler said. “I’m in a position where I have been the past few months, where the game is really close to being good but then there are a few mistakes here and there.

“It’s unfortunate to be on the bubble. I should have been a bit better. But I think I’m due for a low one so we’ll see what happens tomorrow. I can’t think about the Ryder Cup. Whether I get a pick, or if he’s already thinking about picking me or nor picking me, who knows? I just have to take care of my game.”