The much hyped Rickie Fowler has fallen behind his fellow American 20 somethings who have done recent damage.

Many were of the opinion that American golf was in a slump. With the rise of the Europeans in the major championships and world rankings, in addition to the dramatic demise of Tiger Woods as a competitive force, as well as a dominant Europe in the Ryder Cup, many observers would feel validated in their evaluation that golf in the United States was suffering from a recession akin that of which the nations economy is enduring. But when you look closely and avoid these soundbites, was US golf really in a 'slump'. Relatively speaking when you look back at American sporting dominance, it probably was. But rather than a slump, US golf merely needed a shot in the arm, a boost, and to discover an injection of new blood. And it has now found the required remedy.

Late Summer was a very positive period for the PGA Tour. With the Tour wins of Scott Stallings at the Greenbrier, Dustin Johnson, at the Barclays, Keegan Bradley at the PGA, ending the US Major 'drought', and most recently Webb Simpson, whose two wins at the Whyndam and Deutsche Bank, have all come together and injected an almost momentus quantity of new, winning blood into US Golf, which it certainly needed.

Rickie Fowler is still waiting for his breakthrough

However, these new American protagonists don't include in their number, the one player, christened by the media as the next big star of American Golf. Oklahoma State University graduate, Rickie Fowler. The Californian's arrival full time to the PGA Tour in 2010 was heavily anticipated by an expectant golfing media, which had been increasingly desperate to move on from the damaging Tiger Woods 'scandal'. Fowler, who sat at the summit of the World Amateur rankings for 36 weeks, made his name known during the Fall of 2009 in which he finished finished 7th and 2nd in his first two events. The media and the Tour quickly jumped on the Fowler bandwagon. His ready smile, star looks and aggresive golf game made him the perfect player to market going into 2010 and the future. An impressive rookie season followed during which he finished 2nd twice as well as accounting 7 top tens. Perhaps the most crowning achievement was his appearance in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor, when on the Monday singles he birdied the final 4 holes to halve his match with Edoardo Molinari for a crucial half point that kept the US team in the contest. However, for many, a winless season did not live up to the hype and expectation that had been placed on Fowler's young shoulders. As 2011 got underway, the unhelpful comparisons with Rory McIlroy continued, as Rickie has so far went on to have a dissapointing second season. A 5th place at the Open and a 2nd at the Bridgestone are the only bright spots in a season during which he hasn't progressed, and moving into this weeks BMW, the 3rd Playoff of the FedEx Cup, Rickie is fledgling outside the top 30 in the points list.

But has Rickie been a unfulfilled talent or was it simply the case of a media jumping on the bandwagon and putting all their focus onto a young player untested under the most extreme pressure?

In reality it's a little of the two. Rickie is undoubtedely a very talented player. A raw talent certainly, but a talented individual nonetheless. He is aggressive on the course, exciting to watch, and is often unpredictible. But to look briefly into the statistics, it is quite evident to see where he has struggled. On a Sunday, under final day pressure in the heat of a Championship chase. Rickie is 106th in final day performance, as he has only improved or maintaned his position on a leaderboard 52.94% of the time. To put that into perspective, Luke Donald has improved his day final position on 92% of occasions in 2011, so you can see how far Rickie is behind in becoming a force in the game, and where his greatest problem lies. But why has Rickie struggled more often than not in the final rounds?

As I mentioned earlier, it certainly isn't a lack of talent, however, his swing is extremely unorthodox (see above). Which is fine, it's his swing. However, it is a pure feel swing with a huge layoff and change of direction on the backswing, which relys soley on his talent and rhythm. He needs to be 100% on his game for that swing to work, and often when you are under pressure you naturally lose your rhythm slightly, due to nerves or uncertainty, and that in itself has a destructive influence on Rickie Fowler's swing. Yes, you can count of many examples of players with unusual swings winning tournaments and major championships, Jim Furyk or Raymond Floyd come immiediately to mind. However, they both learned how to manage their swing under pressure. Rickie hasn't done so yet, and until he finds that assurance under pressure, he will continue to struggle more often than not during a final round.

To many, Rickie Fowler is already a star.

 But he is young. Yes he has fallen short of what many expected of him, but he's only 22 years old. Eventually he will cross the line as his talent will dictate, and over time he will manage his game, both his swing and decision making, a lot better when under pressure. However, this is when the media hype is unhelpful. Rickie has a very easy going personality, perhaps too much to be successful on a golf course. But on the flip side, that personality, which is his greatest appeal, has allowed him to undertake the media demands and pressure placed upon him with gentlemanly class, which is a testemant to him. But deep down, the constant attention must be a distraction. Perhaps now, with the shift towards the likes of Keegan Bradley,  Rickie will find more comfort and stability in his early career, as he would then be able to focus on his game, both on and off the course, allowing him to progress slightly under the radar and achieve the success that he is almost certainly capable of. Rickie was thrust directly into the limelight when he turned Professional, and like Rory McIlroy, who initially struggled to find his way, the media attention will decrease as more succesful players take the spotlight. Rickie Fowler faced the unenviable task of being  forced by the media to carry a degree of the spotlight that was left behind by Tiger Woods. No rookie player, no matter how talented and likeable they may be, should have that immediate pressure and attention on them in what it is a difficult transitional process on Tour. Rickie will win tournaments, and he may very well win major championships, but until he crosses that line, the media should back off a little and allow him to find his way, rather than prematurely declare him a star, and allow Rickie Fowler himself to earn his own spotlight.