Players Championship 2012 Results: Rickie Fowler Is on Verge of Domination

Rickie Fowler is going to on to win multiple major championships and be a mainstay in the top five of the world golf rankings. 

On Sunday, he didn't quite have enough to overtake Matt Kuchar at the 2012 Players Championship, but he made it abundantly clear he is on the doorstep of greatness. 

The 23-year-old finished the tournament at 11-under, two strokes back of Kuchar. This is a wonderful score at Sawgrass, but it is not in the score itself that hints at his greatness. 

You can view the final leaderboard on the PGA's official webpage.

Fowler Loves Big Moments

Winning golf tournaments often comes down to which player can manage the pressure the best. The isolated nature, need for precise movement and ample amounts reflection time the game provides puts the effects of pressure front and center.

Some people seem to shrink in the face of pressure, and others rise above it. Fowler is proving that he thrives in these kind of situations. 

He showed that last week with his win in a playoff hole at the Wells Fargo Championship, and he proved that again this week. 

Fowler finished the tournament with a strong late charge. His accuracy was amazing as he birdied holes No. 16 and 17, and lipped out a birdie putt on No. 18. 

The Players Championship is not a major, but it is close. Dealing with the pressure of this tournament is a great proving ground.  

Of course, dealing with pressure is of little consequence if a player doesn't have the game to put them in contention to begin with, and Fowler definitely has the game. 

Fowler's Skill

At just 5'9" and 150 pounds, you don't expect Fowler to be a bomber off the tee, but he definitely has the distance to hang with the tour's longer hitters. 

He is averaging 294.1 yards off the tee this season. That is good for 31st on the tour, and the most impressive thing about this is that he can do that with accuracy. 

Fowler is hitting 64.4 percent of his fairways this year, good for 40th on the tour, and that number has been increasing as he has improved as the season has gone on. 

He is a wonderful ball striker, and this certainly includes his work with the irons. He is 19th in greens in regulation. 

His putter is still a little erratic, but not to the point where it is going to derail rounds. He just can't count on it to win him tournaments, but the way he can drill greens in regulation, he doesn't need it to. 

And the scariest part about all of this is that he is just 23 and getting better by the week. 

Fowler is the complete package on the course, and he will soon have major championships to show for it. 

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