Rickie Fowler’s look is usually as familiar to fans as his name on the leaderboard, but at the BMW Championship, it was something else that caught everyone’s attention. Fresh off a season-best tie for sixth at the FedEx St. Jude, Fowler arrived sporting a full beard; a striking shift from his more recent clean-shaven or mustached appearances. So what’s behind the sudden change?

During the opening round at Caves Valley Golf Club, Fowler was asked in the interview if the new beard was just for the playoff run. He smiled and said, “I don’t know what it is. It was growing for a bit through the British.” Some players make changes to their appearance, hoping it might spark something on the course, and Fowler admitted he had the same thought. Since The Open, he’s been letting the beard grow, waiting to see if a little change off the course could lead to something clicking on it.

At home, the new look has drawn attention from perhaps his most important critic, his three-year-old daughter, Maya, who turns four in November. Fowler shared with a smile, “Maya, our oldest, she usually tells me, ‘Dada, take your hair off.’ She’s mentioned it. I try and tickle her as much as I can with it, and she was kind of messing with it yesterday. We’ll see if she lets me keep it. She kind of dictates a lot of that, but so far she hasn’t forced me to take it off yet.” Fowler shared this to give fans a peek behind the curtain his new beard isn’t just unusual for the public, it’s new for those closest to him as well. At such a young age, even a small change in a parent’s appearance can be surprising, and it’s not yet clear if Fowler will be able to keep the beard for long.

But it’s nothing new. Fowler has done this before, believing that even a small change in his beard could bring a bit of luck and help his game on the course.

Fowler has long had a playful side with his facial hair. In 2012, he grew a Van Dyke beard with a mustache and goatee, drawing a mix of praise and criticism from fans on social media and in tournament galleries. Some called it a fun change; others weren’t sold on the look, but he kept it. After winning the Wells Fargo Championship, he explained, “It’s more kind of showing I’m not too worried about what other people think. It’s just me being me, and whether that can be a lesson to some kids, just not trying to fit in, just be themselves.”

He’s also been known to tweak his look around The Open and playoffs, hoping for a little luck. In 2018, around the Fourth of July, he showed up at the Scottish Open scruffy, tied for sixth, and carried it into The Open. His roommate, Justin Thomas, joined in. “We mess around with it. Obviously, not taking it too seriously. But like I said, ended up playing halfway decent last week, so I couldn’t really shave it off going into this week.”

And Fowler’s not the only one; the 2025 season has seen more than one top player surprise fans with a dramatic change in appearance.

Fowler Is Not Alone in Making Bold Appearance Changes

Rory McIlroy turned heads at the 2025 Scottish Open with a bold new look after taking a short mental break following the Travelers Championship. Fans couldn’t miss his fresh buzz cut, which instantly brought Rowan Atkinson’s famous characters Mr. Bean and Johnny English to mind. Sitting down with CBS’s Amanda Balionis after his third round, McIlroy explained the reasoning that “You know, I’m getting a little gray as everyone probably knows. And I stupidly thought that by going shorter, it would take the grays out. And, if anything, it makes me look more gray.”

Even with the unintended result, McIlroy kept it lighthearted and forward-looking. “So, but it will grow back. That’s a good thing. It’ll be in perfect length for the Ryder Cup in September,” he said. Over the years, he’s rocked plenty of hairstyles, including curly hair in his younger days, but this one grabbed attention for its boldness and maybe a little superstition. When Balionis joked it could be a good luck haircut depending on what happens in the tournament, McIlroy just laughed and replied, “Who knows?”

Now all eyes are on Fowler at Caves Valley, and fans are wondering if his new look might just work a little magic on the course this week.