Fowler clinches Jersey Open
Peter Fowler clinched a one stroke victory in the Jersey Open at La Moye Golf Club, on the very course where a back injury threatened his career.
Celebrating his 56th birthday on Tuesday, Fowler injured his back on the eve of his European Senior Tour debut on the Channel Island in 2009 which required surgery and kept him out of the game for nearly a year.
The Australian carded a one under par closing round of 71 and a seven under par winning score, holding off the challenge of playing partner Anders Forsbrand to seal his fourth Senior Tour title, and first since the 2013 French Riviera Masters.
Coincidentally, Fowler also made his European Tour debut at La Moye Golf Club 32 years ago.
“I made my European Tour debut here and my Senior Tour debut as well, and it is fantastic to now win here too,” said Fowler. “It’s a course I’m very fond of, so it is special.
“I also lost in a play-off here to John Morgan in 1986 and my caddie this week, Tim Morton, was on the bag then.
“I’m staying with him this week, so it’s nice for us to come back together nearly 30 years later and go one better.
“It was a good tussle today with Anders.
“We played the Tour at the same time and he played very strong today, hitting a lot of greens, but my putting was the difference.
“I’ve worked hard on my putting and it has come back the last couple of weeks, because it wasn’t very good last year.”
Fowler’s victory continues his strong start to the 2015 Senior Tour season after he finished joint runner up behind Paul Wesselingh in last week’s Wales Senior Open. It also extends his impressive record on the Senior Tour following his career-saving back operation and subsequent gruelling rehabilitation.
“When you have any back surgery, you are entering the unknown and you fear for your career,” said Fowler, who won the 1993 BMW International Open on The European Tour.
“The rehab was long and arduous, but wins like this make it all worthwhile.
“I’ve played some of my best golf since the surgery, although I wouldn’t recommend it for people.
“But once you go through the hard work, it strengthens your resolve, and it definitely helped me today. I’m mentally tougher because of it.”
Although he just missed out on a second Senior Tour title, Forsbrand can take heart from his best finish on the Senior Tour since his victory in the SSE Scottish Senior Open in 2012.
“I played great, but I only holed one putt today,” he said. “That was almost as good as I can play, but if you don’t hole anything, you can’t win.
“Peter got it up and down from everywhere and battled fantastically.
“That was the difference. If I can keep hitting it like this, and suss out the putting, I will hit some decent numbers this year.”
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