Chronic back pain spoils frustrated Fowler's plans

GOLF
Former European Tour winner Peter Fowler loped off the 18th green on Sunday a beaten man, unsure how much longer he'll endure playing through the pain trying to earn a living from the only job he knows.
One thing is for certain after finishing the Carrus Tauranga Open in a tie for 14th - if his chronic back pain doesn't subside, 50-year-old Fowler will cut competitive ties and cease to call himself a golf professional.
Sunday's contrasts couldn't have been more marked for the genial, but clearly frustrated, Auckland-based Aussie.
A year after losing the Tauranga Open title to Michael Hendry in a dramatic playoff, Fowler's presence this year couldn't have been been more muted, a 6m birdie putt on the last for a tournament-ending 69 witnessed only by amateur playing partners Tane Robson and Lenny Morgan.
Vexed at his body's failings, Fowler said the time to reassess his playing future wasn't far off, a career that yielded nine wins as a professional, including the Australian Open (1983), New Zealand Open (1993) and the BMW International (1993), at a crossroad.
Fowler teed it up in Tauranga last year after a double hip operation, returning to Europe with renewed hope only to suffer a back injury needing further surgery.
Prior to last week, he hadn't played for almost nine months and, on Sunday, after a marathon 72-hole stretch spanning four days, he'd had enough.
"My recovery's going to tell me a lot over the next few days but the bottom line is my back's still hurting and I can't seem to work that out.
"I'm uncertain what my future holds, long or short term. I'm trying everything to improve it, including three hours of rehabilitation a day for the last seven months, which is getting tiresome.
"Playing a round of golf pain-free is all I want."
Fowler opened with a one-over par 71 in pristine conditions last Thursday but showed glimpses of his capabilities on Friday with a four-under 66, although eight hours on his feet took a toll and he closed with a pair of 69s.
He was content with the scores he posted considering he hadn't been able to practise anywhere except on the putting green because of the pain.
"I've been doing lots of chipping and putting so that should get even better."
The back pain was constant but was particularly severe when Fowler swung the club.
"It's noticeable when I come into the hitting zone, that's when the pressure really comes on. It's frustrating because I like playing golf and like to be competing.
 "I'd love to be as fit as Bob Charles."
Fowler's ambition is to head back to the European and, ultimately, United States seniors tour but, after a week in Tauranga that yielded little in the way of guarantees for the future, he's not so sure.
"I haven't been paid for eight months so I either play golf or I give up because I can't afford to go away, forking out money to get to Europe when there's not that many tournaments and not a huge amount of money there anyway.
"I'd be better off loading garbage cans if I'm not capable of top 10 on the seniors tour."