SPRINGFIELD, N.J. -- Rickie Fowler is short on majors, not on class.He returned to the 18th green at Baltusrol after an exhausting day because he wanted to congratulate the winner. He is friendly with Jimmy Walker and Jason Day, though there is a special connection with Walker. Both work with Butch Harmon. They were partners in all four matches in the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles, and two matches in the Presidents Cup at South Korea. They were housemates at Royal Troon.Hes definitely one of my closest buddies on tour, Fowler said.Sunday afternoon, however, was as close as Fowler came to a major championship trophy this year.He was trending in a big way two years ago when he finished in the top five at all four majors, a feat previously achieved only by Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods until Jordan Spieth joined them last year. Even so, it appeared to be only a matter of time before Fowler broke through.That now seems like a long time ago.On a soft course at Baltusrol, in a major that produced five players who had all four rounds in the 60s, Fowler could only manage 70-71 in the last two rounds Sunday and tied for 33rd. That was his best finish of the year in the majors.The British Open two weeks earlier was the first cut in a major he made this year. He shot 76-73 on the weekend at Royal Troon. He never shot better than 75 at Oakmont. He opened with an 80 at Augusta National.Golf is hard, and so are the majors.One year, Fowler had top 5s in all the majors without winning a tournament. The next year, he won a career-best three times and didnt feature in any of the majors.There is no cause for alarm. He still is No. 7 in the world, and thats not a case of bad math. Fowler won in January at Abu Dhabi against the strongest field of the year on the European Tour. He lost the Phoenix Open in a playoff after leading by two shots with two to play. He had the 54-hole lead at Quail Hollow in early May and closed with a 74.Since then, his only top 10 was at Firestone, a World Golf Championship with a small field and no cut.Its been a little slow the last couple of months, Fowler said Monday at the TPC Boston to promote his title defense next month in the Deutsche Bank Championship. Just golfs hard. If it was easy, then everyone would be out here playing and I wouldnt have a job. So its just kind of fighting through it and continuing to put in the work, and it will turn back around here soon.The victory at the Deutsche Bank Championship last year, coupled with the victory in Abu Dhabi this year, put Fowler on the cusp of conversations involving the top players. He made people suggest a Big Four when there really were only three players battling for No. 1. And when Dustin Johnson won the U.S. Open to move into the elite in todays game, Fowler lingered as No. 5.Thats no longer the case. Golf is done with Big any numbers, and Fowler wouldnt be part of that conversation at the moment.Where the sluggish season has hurt him is in the Ryder Cup standings.Fowler has dropped all the way to No. 12, a precarious place to be for a couple of reasons. Only the top eight automatically qualify for the U.S. team, and Fowler is running out of time to make it. He chose to play in the Olympics, and hes leaving this week to be there for opening ceremonies in Rio de Janeiro on Friday.That means he wont be at the Travelers Championship, where the other three Olympians are playing -- Bubba Watson, Patrick Reed and Matt Kuchar. All of them are just outside the top eight, and just ahead of Fowler, in the Ryder Cup standings.Its another reminder how little golf guarantees. Fowler never imagined this being an issue six months ago.I took a little bit more time off through the first part of the season to prepare for the busy summer that was ahead, Fowler said. Unfortunately, I havent played as well as I would have liked to the past few months, which has kind of put me in a tough position.He was in reasonable shape at the halfway point in the last two majors, only to fade on the weekend. And as thrilled as he was for Walker winning a major, Fowler surely took notice that the 37-year-old Texan had been struggling over the previous 15 months.It can be frustrating that it wasnt him, or it can provide hope that his turn his coming.Either way, hes running out of time.The cutoff for Ryder Cup qualifying is after The Barclays at the end of the month. Davis Love III will get four captains picks, though Fowler doesnt have form on his side, particularly if someone else emerges during the FedEx Cup playoffs. No guarantees in golf.The next trophy in his sight is a gold medal from the Olympics, which he grew up watching. Fowler said he was never going to run fast enough or jump high enough to be an Olympian, so this was a pleasant surprise to have golf return to the Olympics for the first time since 1904.There are no Ryder Cup points in Rio, though a gold medal would surely go a long way toward another competition at Hazeltine that is all about flag. No one wants to miss that one. Oklahoma City Thunder Shirts . That left plenty of energy for pitching books and swatting away free agency questions. Anthony had 24 points and nine rebounds, and the Knicks avenged an embarrassing home loss with a rout of their own, beating the Boston Celtics 114-88 on Wednesday night for their third straight victory. Desmond Mason Jersey . -- Three close looks at the bucket, three misses. https://www.cheapthunder.com/1221h-tommy-burleson-jersey-thunder.html . -- The proud fathers huddled near the Dallas Stars dressing room, smiling, laughing and telling stories while wearing replica green sweaters of their sons team. Dennis Johnson Jersey . -- Lou Brocks shoulder-to-shoulder collision with Bill Freehan during the 1968 World Series and Pete Roses bruising hit on Ray Fosse in the 1970 All-Star game could become relics of baseball history, like the dead-ball era. Patrick Ewing Jersey . Los Angeles star goalie survived those perilous gymnastics with no problem, and he eventually backstopped the Kings to a skid-snapping win. Quick stopped 27 shots in his return from a 24-game injury absence, Jeff Carter scored the tiebreaking goal with 7:55 to play, and the Kings snapped their five-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night. Connacht warmed up for their Champions Cup double header with Wasps by thrashing Benetton Treviso 47-8 in the Guinness PRO12 at the Sportsground.Hooker and man-of-the-match Tom McCartney bagged a brace of tries and late inclusion Danie Poolman, who replaced the injured Matt Healy, and Denis Buckley also touched down for a 28-3 half-time lead.With their bonus point secured, the westerners added two more tries by the hour-mark from John Cooney and Quinn Roux, before replacements Vittorio Flammini and Jack Carty swapped scores in a scrappy final quarter.Treviso, who suffered a 46-3 loss at Munster last week, hit the front in Galway thanks to a fourth-minute penalty from Ian McKinley, after Connacht flanker Jake Heenan had been dispossessed in a tackle.Pat Lams men improved as the first quarter progressed, Heenan being hauled down short before a kickable penalty was turned down and McCartney, from a standing start, drove over in the clinical fashion for a 13th-minute try.Despite losing winger Cian Kelleher to the sin-bin for taking a player out in the air, Connacht pressed on and ended the first half with four tries - all converted by scrum-half Cooney.His new half-back partner, South African Marnitz Boshoff, also played well, kicking asstutely down the line as the provinces try-hunt gathered pace.dddddddddddd Poolman was next over the whitewash in the 25th minute, benefiting from a brilliant one-handed pass from blindside Nepia Fox-Matamua.Treviso were soon down to 14 men, their tighthead Simone Ferrari paying the price for persistent ruck infringements.Connacht took full advantage with two seven-pointers before the break, McCartney going over from close range after a bout of pressure from the forwards and lovely hands from Kelleher.Cooney and Bundee Aki set up prop Buckleys 37th-minute score. A clever training ground move from a lineout, involving Boshoff and Poolman, saw Cooney cross in the 49th minute and second row Roux rumbled over from a maul five minutes later.Connachts front row replacements ceded advantage in the scrum as Treviso got on top in successive set pieces, forcing a 66th-minute try. The scorer Flammini saw yellow for cynical play six minutes later.Despite losing Boshoff to an arm injury, the hosts gave the 5,903 attendance a seventh and final try to cheer thanks to Cartys show-and-go effort which he converted himself. ' ' '