Rickie Fowler gave himself a chance at the John Deere Classic with one of his best rounds of golf this season.
The 37-year-old surged up the leaderboard Saturday at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois, firing an 8-under 63 after two quieter rounds to open the tournament. Fowler made seven birdies and an eagle against just one bogey to move within striking distance entering Sunday.
Fowler began the final round five shots behind co-leaders Lucas Glover and Lee Hodges. He knows he will need another low score, along with some help from the players ahead of him, to end his nearly three-year PGA Tour win drought.
Rickie Fowler Reveals What It Will Take to Win the John Deere Classic
Fowler has produced several strong performances in 2026, recording one runner-up finish and four top-10s in 16 starts. However, he has not won on the PGA Tour since July 2023.
After his 63 on Saturday, Fowler was asked whether he still believed he could win the John Deere Classic.
“I mean, if you shot 8-under every day, you would be in a good position,” Fowler said.
The six-time PGA Tour winner was encouraged by more than just his score. His iron play improved, while his putter finally heated up after causing problems over the past few seasons.
“No, it was a good solid day. It was nice to see some putts go in. Hit my irons a lot better, a lot tighter on lines and control out there,” Fowler said.
“So, yeah, I mean, basically everything we would have wanted in the day, maybe other than a couple that didn’t necessarily go in. I got some good breaks out there, as well, so can’t complain.”
Fowler gained more than 3.3 strokes on the field with his putting Saturday. He did three-putt the final hole from long distance, but the mistake did little to take away from a round that put him back in the tournament.
“3-putted the last from long distance, but, you know, 8-under and moving ourselves up into a decent spot,” Fowler said. “We’ll see how the guys finish up and see if we have any sort of chance tomorrow. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
Fowler made it clear that playing conservatively would not be an option in the final round.
“Like I said, we’ll kind of see where everyone finishes up, see how far back I’ll be and what kind of push we can make, but a low one is possible,” he said. “It’s going to take a low one from wherever I’m at. Then, yeah, hope that no one else runs away.”
Rickie Fowler Explains Why TPC Deere Run Is Harder Than It Looks
Low scores have been common at the John Deere Classic, but Fowler said TPC Deere Run presents more challenges than the leaderboard might suggest.
“It’s a good place. I enjoy it. It’s fun to play,” Fowler said.
“You know, you can score around here obviously. You see plenty of good scores, but it’s also — it can be tricky at times, especially when the wind starts to blow.”
Fowler said the course requires precision and does not simply reward the longest players on the PGA Tour.
“I don’t think the golf course is as easy as some of the guys out here make it look, but I think it’s a good golf course,” he said. “You have to kind of hit your spots.”
“There’s not many holes that you can necessarily have guys that can take advantage of a bunch of distance. I think that’s why you’ve seen a lot of different types of players that have won here. Not just guys that are short, long, middle. It’s kind of been a little bit of everything.”
Fowler returned to the John Deere Classic after enjoying his experience at the tournament in 2025.
“So I’ve enjoyed it,” he said. “I had a fun time here last year. The kids enjoyed it, so it was easy to decide to come back.”
Fowler Faces a Crowded John Deere Classic Leaderboard
Glover and Hodges shared the lead at 16-under entering the final round, with several players close behind them.
Jackson Suber, Ben Kohles and Zac Blair were tied for third at 15-under, while Doug Ghim sat alone in sixth at 14-under. Iowa native Zach Johnson was three shots off the lead at 13-under.
Max Homa and world No. 1 amateur Preston Stout were tied at 12-under, keeping them in contention along with Fowler.
The winner will receive $1.6 million and 500 FedEx Cup points as the PGA Tour moves closer to the end of its regular season.
Rickie Fowler Weighs In on John Deere Classic Chances After Huge Saturday Surge