On a Tour with about 200 regular players, choosing five disappointing players is a challenge, but there are several that fit the description.
Fowler was expected to finally win a major championship, [but] the five-time PGA Tour winner struggled in 2021, failing to make the playoffs for the first time in his career.
Rickie Fowler (134th in the FedEx Cup standings, 114th in the Official World Golf Rankings)
At a point when the 32-year-old was expected to finally win a major championship, the five-time PGA Tour winner struggled in 2021, failing to make the playoffs for the first time in his career. He had just one top-ten finish, a tie for eighth in the PGA Championship and missed the cut in the Wyndham Championship in his last event when he had a chance to move into the top 125 in FedEx Cup points.
Justin Rose (126th, 43rd)
For the former U.S. Open champion and Olympic Gold medalist, 2021 was a frustrating ball-striking season for a player that is considered to be one of the best from tee to green. He was 196th in total driving but came up just one spot short of making the playoffs.
The 41-year-old from England had just three top-ten finishes, but two were in major championships in the Masters Tournament and the PGA Championship. His other top ten was in the Wyndham Championship, which left him just short of qualifying for the playoffs.
Tommy Fleetwood (137th, 38th)
The popular Englishman had only one top ten in a stroke play event, finishing in a tie for tenth in the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Fleetwood was 139th in driving accuracy and 144th in greens in regulation, so it was no surprise that he failed to qualify for the playoffs.
He is still in search of his first PGA Tour victory, although he did qualify for Europe’s 2018 Ryder Cup team. The 30-year-old will need to make some big improvements to his game if he expects to stick around the PGA Tour for much longer.
Jason Day (114th, 80th)
The former PGA champion has been battling injuries and the 12 time PGA Tour winner hasn’t recorded a victory since 2018 when he won twice. He missed the cut in five of his final eight tournaments, primarily due to putting woes that had him ranked 156th on Tour.
Day was 36th in total driving and 76th in greens in regulation, so there is hope that the 33 years old Australian can get healthy and move back into the top echelon on Tour. He was a staple on four consecutive President’s Cup teams from 2011 to 2017, and a solid 2022 could get him back on the squad for next year’s event.
Matthew Wolff (71st, 44th)
A lot was expected from the 22-year-old out of Oklahoma State after he began the season with a runner-up finish to Bryson DeChambeau in the 2020 U.S. Open and then followed it up with another one in the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. The performances ended was his only top ten finishes of the season, with his best result the rest of the way coming in the 2021 U.S. Open, where he ended in a tie for 15t after taking almost two months off to regroup.
