Rickie Fowler follows his tee shot on the par 4, third hole as Ernie Els steps on to the tee during the third round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship on January 17. David Cannon /Getty Images
Rickie Fowler follows his tee shot on the par 4, third hole as Ernie Els steps on to the tee during the third round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship on January 17. David Cannon /Getty Images
Rickie Fowler follows his tee shot on the par 4, third hole as Ernie Els steps on to the tee during the third round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship on January 17. David Cannon /Getty Images
Rickie Fowler follows his tee shot on the par 4, third hole as Ernie Els steps on to the tee during the third round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship on January 17. David Cannon /Getty Images

Golf

Rickie Fowler and former mentor Ernie Els reunited at Abu Dhabi Golf Championship

Markedly different in both stature and standing, there were times during their stroll around the National Course Saturday that Ernie Els and Rickie Fowler resembled more father and son than playing partners, writes John McAuley

John McAuley
John McAuley

January 17, 2015

  • English
  • Arabic

ABU DHABI // Markedly different in both stature and standing, there were times during their stroll around the National Course on Saturday that Ernie Els and Rickie Fowler resembled more father and son than playing partners.

The two are firm friends anyway, living close to one another in Jupiter, Florida, a proximity that has allowed their relationship to flourish.

Initially, Els would impart whatever knowledge he has gleaned from 25 years a professional, which happens to be more or less the same period Fowler has been on this planet.

At 26, and in his sixth full season on tour, the American has proved a fast learner: last year, he became only the third guy in modern history to post top-five finishes in all four majors. Els, 45, has a quartet of grand slam titles himself, although he has had rather longer to rack them up.

However, while Fowler is now long enough in the tooth to plot his own path, the Big Easy can still aid his little companion’s development. Especially as Fowler is making his Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship debut this week, part of his bid to become a global player.

With 70 victories worldwide, frequent-flyer Els represents the model mentor.

“I don’t pick his brains so much now, but I did some of the first few times playing with him,” Fowler said after a third-round 73, which left him 1-under for the tournament. “Looking at some of the things he has done in his career and how he manages his schedule and his time - that’s probably what I’ve learned most from some of the guys that have been out here for a while, especially him. We get on well, so I enjoyed it today.”

Not that his score necessarily suggested it. Fowler went backwards when he had eyes only for climbing the leaderboard, but concluded his day’s work with an eagle on 18. Following a significant time signing autographs, he was then escorted back to the clubhouse by camel. Given the way his round went, insert hump joke here.

“I guess I figured something out, so see if we can take it into tomorrow,” Fowler said of the eagle. “It’s just the way golf is: sometimes you feel comfortable, sometimes you don’t. See if we can get a little more out of the round tomorrow and move up the board.”

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