ORLANDO — You watching this Bay Hill tourney? Another important moment on this exciting Rickie Fowler comeback tour. Sunday here is gonna be big. Next Sunday, Sunday of the Players Championship, will be bigger yet, what with the Academy Awards being held and all.
Fowler’s close personal friend and absolute doppelganger (asking for a little latitude here, folks), Leonardo DiCaprio, is up for an Oscar at the 98th Academy Awards, being held at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood. Meanwhile, Fowler is trying to play his way back to Augusta. If you’re top 50 in the World Golf Ranking at the end of March, you’re in the Masters. Fowler is 67th. A good finish here and at the Players would do him wonders. Of course, a lot of other talented golfers are trying to do the same thing.
It’s not going to be easy — not for Leo, not for Rick — but what worthwhile thing ever is? DiCaprio was nominated for his performance as Bob Ferguson, a paranoid, weed-smoking, self-styled revolutionary in One Battle After Another, a dark comedy-thriller-satire directed by Thomas Paul Anderson. But let’s tip the cap here to his competition:
Michael B. Jordan in Sinners, and formerly Apollo Creed’s son in one of the many stepchildren spawned by the original Rocky movie.
Also (speaking of sports), Timothée Chalamet, who plays the Ping Pong champ Marty Supreme in Marty Supreme.
Also, rounding out this fivesome, there’s Ethan Hawke in Blue Moon and Wagner Moura in The Secret Agent.
While we’re at it, here’s a foursome of super-talents trying to play their way into the 2026 Masters: Tom Kim, Joaquin Niemann, Sahith Theegala and Will Zalatoris.
So, yeah.
Could Michael B. Jordan play Tiger E. Woods in a Tiger Woods biopic? The actor is not a golfer, but of course he could. Michael B. Jordan could play anybody — he’s that good. Could Ethan Hawke play Russell Henley in a Russell Henley biopic? Ab-so-lute-ly. (While we’re at it, and they were once at the same party at the same time and it did actually create a little confusion, despite the age difference: Nick Faldo and Harrison Ford. Ford received one of those industry lifetime achievement awards the other day and concluded his remarks by saying of the accolade, “It’s encouraging.” He’s 83.)
But it’s unlikely that Tiger has ever been asked if he is Michael B. Jordan. It’s even more unlikely that Russell Henley has ever been asked if he is Ethan Hawke. But people have actually asked Rickie Fowler, 37 years old and a six-time winner on the PGA Tour, if he is, in fact, Leonardo DiCaprio, 51 years old and a six-time Oscar nominee (and one-time winner) in the Best Actor category.
“I’ve gotten that a handful of times from people, that there’s a little resemblance there,” Fowler said on Friday. “I definitely take it as a compliment, not a bad one to have.”
Absolutely. It’s their hair and broad foreheads, their narrow eyes filled with life — and their impish, chill manner. As there really was something about Mary (Cameron Diaz) in Something about Mary, there is something about Rick, as there is with DiCaprio. It’s been a joy to watch Fowler play his ready-to-play golf on Tour for more than 16 years now.
The actor and golfer have met once, through Mike Meldman, the real-estate developer behind the Discovery golf properties. This was in Mexico, in Cabo San Lucas, at the El Dorado Golf & Beach Club, a Discovery Land Company property.
“I was just down there on vacation,” Fowler said. “He was down there as well. We were over at a house [owned] by a good friend of mine, Mike Meldman, at El Dorado. Just hanging out, maybe having a couple beers or cocktails, but nothing crazy.”
Fowler was asked if he mentioned to the actor that he is sometimes mistaken for him.
“No,” Fowler said in his boyish way. “I didn’t want to bring that up.”
Meldman has his own take on the visit:
“I will just say they got along great as they are both stars.”
Michael Bamberger welcomes your comments at Michael.Bamberger@Golf.com
