We sat down with Rickie and asked him about the behind-the-scenes action on the PGA Tour, life off the course and PUMA Golf gear. Enjoy!

PUMA Golf: I’m sure you’ve heard that the Golf Channel commentators have been raving about you during the coverage over the past few weeks. And, they think you look like Leonardo DiCaprio. Any thoughts?

Rickie Fowler: It’s hard for me to see the comparison, but I’ve heard it from a couple of people. So I guess there has to be a little bit of resemblance. It’s definitely nice and good that they’re talking about me. It’s nice they like me and I’m glad I can bring a little bit of edge to the end of the golf season.

PG: You play really fast and your style is daring. Does your background in motocross racing influence that?

RF: Yeah, definitely. I’ve always played really quick. They give you an amount of time you’re supposed to play in, so you’re not supposed to play slow. But I’ve always made decisions quickly on the course…I get the yardages and then I just step up and hit the shot — I hardly ever take a practice swing.

PG: How’s the PUMA golf cart treating you? How fast does it go? Have you done any off-roading on the golf course yet?

RF: Well, I don’t know the top speed and unfortunately I haven’t been in it that much, just because I’ve been on the road ever since Soboba [Classic where PUMA gave me the cart]. But it’s pretty cool and hopefully I’ll get to spend some time on it in the off-season. I love the big wheels and tires and sound system, so it’ll be fun to cruise around in it.

PG: Are you a big Oklahoma State fan?

RF: Definitely. Being a part of that program the last two years, the people there make you feel like family and I’m always going to be a Cowboy.

PG: I hear you like to wear orange on Sundays. Do you think that will be like your equivalent to Tiger’s red?

RF: In a way, yeah. Not many guys are known for wearing orange pants, so it’s kind of my own thing and hopefully I’ll continue it and maybe it’ll catch on.

PG: Do you have an entourage yet? Or groupies?

RF: No [groupies]. I’d say my entourage consists of family and friends that have been with me through everything and supported me through junior golf, amateur golf, and now onto professional golf.

PG: Do you have a girlfriend?

RF: I do right now. We’ve been together two months. I met her on the road. Her dad plays.

PG: Do you have any rivalries on Tour yet?

RF: No. Most guys that are pretty young out there I know from college or amateur golf and I’m trying to get to know [other] guys. But just getting my feet wet and to know everyone. No rivalries yet.

PG: Do you have a favorite player you like to hang out with on Tour?

RF: There’s a few. I’ve spent a lot of time with Tom Pernice who is a friend from back home. If I have my card next year and I’m out there with a schedule, I’m sure I’ll see the guys I know from amateur golf that I’ll spend some time with. Chris Tidland is another guy I spend a lot of time with back in Stillwater, [Oklahoma]– he got his card on the Nationwide Tour this year. I hang out with a few other guys, but I always stay close to the guys from Oklahoma State because of my ties there.

PG: Are there any players you find annoying?

RF: No. <Laughter> I tend to get along with just about anyone. You know, I’ve heard stories about some guys who are kind of hard to handle, but I haven’t run into any problems.

PG: What would your dream pairing be?

RF: I’d definitely like to play with Tiger down the road. Other than that, [it's great] just getting the chance to play with all the other guys out there. I’ve played with a few now and I’ve had a lot of fun getting to know them. I’m just looking forward to different pairings every week.

PG: What do you do in your free time?

RF: Just relax. Hang out with friends and family. Some of my free time consists of practicing as well. I’m never off from golf too much.

PG: So, you’re obviously a great guy — but come on, you’ve got to have some vices. If you had to pick out a bad habit, what would it be?

RF: Biting my fingernails. It’s stopping, I’m trying.

PG: Who would your dream celeb date be?

RF: Hmm. Megan Fox is a hot topic these days. I’d have to think about that one for a bit — there are a few out there, but I’d have to say Megan Fox is right at the top of the list.

PG: What kind of music do you listen to?

RF: My iPod pretty much has everything — hip-hop, country, but I’d say my favorite is alternative [...] something along the lines of Kings of Leon.

PG: What kind of car do you drive?

RF: Right now, Mistubishi Evo 10. I’m doing a few things to it, waiting for a new turbo right now. I’m into fast cars, so exotic ones, like Ferraris, Lamborghinis. My favorite car as of right now is the new Aston Martin One-77.

PG: Do you ever take your car racing?

RF: Eventually. Once my car is finished — all the motor work — I’ll take it to the track, but not yet.

PG: What’s your favorite PUMA style?

RF: Everything I’ve seen I’ve liked. I’ll wear just about anything and I feel like their brand offers pretty much everything. You can basically get any style you want. So, it’s nice to be able to wear one outfit one day and one the other and it’s completely different — it’s a great lifestyle brand.

PG: How would you describe your sense of style?

RF: On the lifestyle side, it’s a little more Southern Cal, a bit edgy, but nothing out of the ordinary. On the golf course, a little more nontraditional, flashy and outgoing — just different with the colors, style and look and not something you see every day on the course.

PG: What’s the most important part of an outfit?

RF: Every part. From the shoes, to the pants, to the belt, to the shirt and hat — if one thing is wrong, it’s going to ruin the outfit. So I think everything plays a certain piece. But I’d say the shoes are probably a big part on the lifestyle side. I think on the golf side, it’s shoes, belt and hat that kind of make it stand out a little more.

PG: How do you choose your outfits every day? Do you plan them out before you travel?

RF: Yes and no. I usually think of what goes with what when I’m back and throw a bunch of stuff in. Then when I’m on the road, I’ll usually lay out the outfits I’m going to wear Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. And of course, if you don’t make the cut, you don’t get to wear the Saturday and Sunday ones. It’s always pre-planned before every day. Every once in a while PUMA will script out something to wear if they need me to. But they’ve seen I can get by putting together my own stuff.

PG: Do you put your pants on one leg at a time?

RF: Shoot, I don’t even know which leg I put in first. I guess whichever feels better that morning!

PG: Have you ever played golf commando-style?

RF: I might have had to once because I had the wrong color boxers on for white pants. I think it was after I was out one morning and then I had to play in the afternoon. I might have had, like, black boxers on and I was going to wear white pants and that wouldn’t have worked out.

PG: Do you think shorts should be allowed on the PGA Tour?

RF: No. Pants look a lot better — that’s more toward the traditional side, but with the style of the PUMA pants, I like how they’re cut. Shorts are a look more for your casual, weekend golfer, not [for a] professional.

Thanks for your time, Rickie!

[Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images]

Our friends at Bunkershot.com TV caught up with Rickie at Chelsea Piers in NYC on Wednesday. Check out what he has to say about his game, Q-school status, cars, fashion and life on the road.

Although the Viking Classic was canceled this past weekend because the course was unplayable — believe it or not — we still have some winners! Those people who had high hopes for Rickie (we appreciate your optimism) and had their predictions in before the official cancellation announcement, we would like to say thanks with a tee!

So, here are the lucky winners of a “Rickie Is My Homeboy” T-shirt:

First place goes to…

*Jerry Campbell: “Lift, clean and place: -24″

The next closest guess was 19-under:

*Rebecca Downing
*Ron Ogawa
*Will
*Ned Doyle

And because this comment –  14 under baby! Hey Rickie, you’re so fine, you’re so fine you blow my mind, hey Rickie!! — from Sara made us laugh, she gets a T-shirt, too.

Please send your T-shirt size and address to: thepumastore@puma.com

If anyone else has funny comments, feel free to share! Congrats to the winners and thanks everyone for your submissions.

And this is how the pros and their caddies passed the time as they waited for word on when first round play would begin at the Viking Classic. Unfortunately, the tournament was postponed for the second day in a row because of inclement weather plaguing Madison, Mississippi.

So, the way things are looking at the water-logged golf course, the tourney won’t be finished until Wednesday. Luckily for the players, they don’t have to travel too far for entertainment — the nearest casinos are only 40 miles away.

[Photo by Dave Martin/Getty Images]

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve likely heard that PUMA athlete Rickie Fowler has been making some noise on the PGA Tour the past few weeks. This week’s continuing his road to securing his full 2010 Tour card at the Viking Classic and giving another try at his first professional win.

Given his fantastic performance recently, PUMA Golf is having a little contest to celebrate. Predict Rickie’s score (how many under par he’ll finish) at the Viking Classic at golf.puma.com for a chance to win a stylin’ T-shirt (pictured above).

Here’s how to win: Post your best guess in the comments section with your first and last name. On the Monday following the conclusion of the tournament, we’ll sort through the submissions and announce the first five people whose prediction came the closest or perhaps was right on the money.

So, give it your best shot. Good luck to all, and of course, Rickie, too!

Rickie Fowler has showed that he has everything from talent to style, and more essential he can handle pressure like a veteran. Dare we say, he’s the real deal? He certainly has the attention of the golf world and has swiftly become a fan favorite.

In only his second start as a professional, he found himself in a three-way playoff with Troy Matteson and Jamie Lovemark, another young, rising star. Unfortunately, he lost on the second playoff hole to Matteson. Still, a T2 isn’t so bad, not to mention it was his second top-10 finish in two weeks!

He stole quite a bit of Matteson’s thunder, too. He fired a final round 6-under 64, which included a sweet ace on the 5th hole.

Rickie’s strong showing sure added a ton of excitement to the usually somewhat dull Fall Series. I mean, who wasn’t glued to their TV during that final stretch? More important to note is the Golf Channel’s man-crush on the kid. It was nonstop Rickie-gushing (but, hey, can you blame them?!). In Saturday’s telecast, the commentators mentioned one of their producers thought Rickie looked like a young Leonardo DiCaprio. Then, during his round on Sunday, they did a split screen of him and Leo. So, it appears golf has a new heartthrob. Finally.

With the $440,000 check he took home, he’s earned a total of $553,700 in two weeks! This puts him around 130th or so on the money list — he needs to be in the top-125 to secure his full 2010 Tour card. Now the big question is what he’ll do next. Rickie has said the plan all along has been Q-school. But, given his fantastic finishes, the decision was easy for him:

Right now I’m gonna go to Viking next week. Gonna fly out in the morning. And then I’m not sure if I’m gonna get to second, possibly third stage. The plans are still to go to Q-School. I’m gonna go into next week with the same game plan I did those last two. Seemed to work out pretty well these last two weeks, so we’ll see what happens next week.

Either way, the chances are good he’ll get his card. He also might become the first player since Ryan Moore in 2005 to dodge Q-school, and before him, the last player was Tiger Woods.

One thing is for sure: It’s great to see a young guy, especially one that’s as fun to watch as Rickie, put himself in contention so fast out the gate. If he keeps playing like this, he just might get his first win very soon.

[Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images]

With all the young talent these days, there’s a ton of hype that comes with it — Rickie Fowler, an All-American standout at Oklahoma State, is one of them. But unlike some, he’s backing it up with his phenomenal play. I mean, wow, the kid is having a ridiculously remarkable fall. He sure has the attention of the Golf Channel’s commentators, who have been joyously singing his praises (hmm, do I smell a crush?).

At his first PGA Tour event as a professional last week, he finished T7. And now, at the Frys.com Open, he’s continuing his hot streak. In the first round, he tore it up with a 5-under 65, good enough for T4. He followed it by lighting it up with an outstanding 6-under 64.  Though half the field have yet to finish their rounds, Rickie is currently at the very top of the leaderboard. His solid ballstriking has been one of the keys to his success as he’s only missed two greens in 36 holes. (Red hot!)

After his round, he told the Golf Channel:

“People ask me how it feels to be a professional now and playing in the PGA Tour events as a pro, I feel the same. I feel pretty relaxed out there and just kind of doing my thing. It seems to be working out pretty well. Going into Saturday and Sunday, I’m just going to try and put together two solid rounds. I plan on going to Q-school and not look too far ahead. I’m just going to focus on this weekend.”

To bypass Q-school and secure his Tour card, Rickie needs a victory this week (to finish in the top 125 on the PGA Tour money list). While winning ain’t easy, he couldn’t be in a better position to carry out this first-rate feat. And given the way he’s playing, along with his fearless, relaxed attitude, it surely wouldn’t be out of the question.

[Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Image]

Contrary to popular belief, golf can be a great workout. Here’s Team Real Estate Pimps playing the “On the Clock” hole, where time is counted and not strokes, at the PUMA Open in Miami.

It was a fantastic week for PUMA golfers. Johan Edfors placed T6 at the Portugal Masters. He fired scores of 66-69-68-68 for a total of 17-under. The hunky Swede finished 6 strokes behind Englishman Lee Westwood, who won for the first time in two years. 

After this solid showing, Edfors is ranked 30th on the European Tour’s Race to Dubai.

Congrats on the great play, Johan!

[Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images Europe]

Believe the hype? Rising star Rickie Fowler shot rounds of 67-64-69-68 for a total of 16-under and good enough for T7 at the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. It was an outstanding showing, especially for his first PGA Tour event as a professional.

Post-round he tweeted: That last bird made me some good cash…just hangin out at my place for the night and then off to AZ in the a.m.

Uh yeah, $113,700, to be exact.

The top-ten finish earned him an exemption to the Frys.com Open this week in Scottsdale, AZ, saving him from using a pricey sponsor’s exemption he had previously secured. So, he’ll have the opportunity to play in another Fall Series event (if he chooses).

He’ll be vying for his full Tour card at Q-school in December — unless he’s goes off and does something crazy like, you know, win a tournament. We would positively PUMA ourselves if that happened.

[Photo by Marc Feldman/Getty Images]