Fowler heading to 2013 European Senior Tour on a high

PETER FOWLER will be heading off to the European Senior Tour brimming with confidence after registering his third consecutive South Australian Senior PGA Championship.

Fowler shot a second round 6-under 66 to claim the 2013 title at the Adelaide Shores Golf Club.

The 53 year old went on to a second placing this week at the final event of the 2013 PGA Legends Tour South Australian swing, the William Buck PGA Senior Classic at the Grange Golf Club, won by SA local Garry Merrick.

Fowler was fourth on the European Senior Tour order of merit last year but will be hoping to better that and return to the form that saw him win the OAM in 2011. In that year he had a standout season on the tour with two wins, three second placings and two third placings.

Fowler will be helped in his campaign this year after spending some quality time with caddie and coach Ian Alexander.

The pair have a relationship that extends almost 40 years as Fowler caddied for the former Pennant Hills Head Professional as a young teenager.

Fowler, who went on to win the 1983 Australian Open, also completed his Traineeship under Alexander before heading out on Tour in the early 1980’s.

Alexander coached Fowler until he left to pursue a career overseas but the pair reunited five years ago when Fowler was struggling with his game.

Fowler “playing some of the best golf of his life”

“He called me and asked if I would help him and of course I said yes,” says Alexander. “We went back to what we used to do and it has worked a treat. Between that and working in the gym he has been playing some of the best golf of his life.”

Fowler usually flies Alexander to New Zealand once a year to work on his swing but Alexander was unavailable this year so they decided to hook up on the Legends Tour South Australian swing instead.

“It was a dual role for me last week, both caddie and coach,” Alexander said. “It was fabulous to see how well he played too. He’s always been a good player but now he really has gone up a notch.

“It makes me very proud to see because he’s more like a son to me than a student.”

Fowler will return to Europe soon for the beginning of the 2013 European Seniors Tour and Alexander is happy he is leaving on a high note.

“He looks in good form and it was fabulous to share a win with him,” he said.

Merrick wins Grange Senior Classic

Merrick fired a sensational 5-under 67 to win the William Buck PGA Senior Classic this week by a stroke over Fowler.

European Senior Tour member Chris Williams of South African and New South Welshman Dave Merriman were the only other players able to better par after firing three under par 69s.

Players were delighted with the recently renovated Greg Norman East course at the Grange.

”I really loved it out there today,” Merrick said afterwards. “I have had a couple of rounds here, one off the front tees and one off the back. What Greg has managed to do here is make it enjoyable off any of the tees. You could comfortably have an Australian Open here off the back tees and equally the members can enjoy it off the forward markers. The greens are just terrific which allowed me to hit some shots really close, my irons talked to me.”

The PGA Legends Tour has a bit of a break now before getting underway in earnest again on its Queensland swing in July.