"He's obviously someone I've always looked up to" - Rickie Fowler fondly recalls spending time with Arnold Palmer

Rickie Fowler recently said that he looked up to Arnold Palmer while growing up and loved spending time with golf's all-time great.

Fowler shared a special personal relationship with Palmer, and they had known each other for many years. Their friendship lasted until the veteran passed away in 2016. Notably, Fowler had visited Palmer earlier that year to inform him that he was skipping the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Earlier this year, he was present on the I Can Fly podcast, where he discussed his relationship with the seven-time Major champion.

"He's obviously someone I've always looked up to," he said. "Enjoyed spending time with him. Probably first time I won an AJGA event at Bay Hill, obviously his home. So it was around him a little bit there but wasn't until probably a couple of times up at Sunny Hannah which is far from where he grew up."

Fowler revealed that he and Palmer's grandson were almost the same age and played amateur and professional golf against each other, which was the beginning of their friendship. He added that once he turned pro, he would always see the golf icon at Bay Hill. Fowler also shared an anecdote about playing in the same group as Arnold Palmer. He said:

"Probably one of my coolest memories with him is played in the same group with him at seminal and the pro member. I still remember there was a shot he hit number 11 par 4 kind of go straight out and then up to the green and there's a bunker in the middle of that Hill it's like 40ish yard short of the green.

"We hit it in there in two and he just kind of walks in there, I don't know what club he had. Some sort of wedge and just kind of hits this like perfect 60 yard bunker shot up in the middle of green and I'm just like, 'he's still got it.' Just being able to cruise around play 18 with him at the seminal down here is pretty special."

In the podcast, Rickie Fowler also spoke about Palmer's quality of writing notes to people, which isn't that common nowadays. He added that this was something he wished he was better at.

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What's next for Rickie Fowler?

Rickie Fowler has skipped the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, which took place at TPC Craig Ranch from Thursday, May 2 to Sunday, May 5. He will next compete at the Wells Fargo Championship, the upcoming signature event on the PGA Tour. The tournament is scheduled to take place from Thursday, May 9 to Sunday, May 12, at Quail Hollow Golf & Country Club.

Rickie Fowler has had a below-par season so far, struggling to secure even one top-10 finish. He has missed three cuts in 11 starts and has only managed one top-25 finish, which occurred at the RBC Heritage.