Fowler eager to build on Abu Dhabi triumph

Fowler finished a Sunday sprint at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship one shot clear of Thomas Pieters and with Spieth, Rory McIlroy and Henrik Stenson all not far behind.

The American was particularly pleased that he had clinched his second European Tour title competing against the world number one Jordan Spieth, who finished tied for fifth and the four-time major victor Rory McIlroy, who came joint third. It looked as though the 27-year-old might cruise to victory until he suffered a setback at the par-3 7th.

Dressed in his trademark Sunday orange, Fowler rebounded from a double-bogey at No. 7, which helped trim his lead from four strokes to one, by chipping in from 30 yards for eagle from a bunker at No. 8.

Fowler never balked. He calmly chipped in for birdie on the 17th to give himself just enough of a cushion on 18, and after Thomas Pieters’ eagle putt went begging, it was Fowler’s event to win.

Fowler is expected to climb to No. 4 in the world rankings Monday, behind only Spieth, Jason Day and McIlroy.

“It’s nice to have my game where it’s at right now going into the season, instead of trying to work on things”.

This is the first time Fowler has won during the first four months of a year. That’s an average age of 25.9, to which the 22-year-old Spieth good-naturedly tweeted of the other three, “Wow they must be old”. “I could definitely see it continuing being part of the schedule”. Luiten of the Netherlands eagled No. 18 to move into second place on 11-under, one shot ahead of McIlroy (70), Pieters (64), Matthew Baldwin (67), Grace (66) and An Byeong-hun (69).

“I’m pretty disappointed”, Hadwin told reporters after his round. “Rickie is going to win multiple events each year, so will Rory and Jason. That’s something I did really well on Saturday when I won the Players”. “Just looking forward to next week now”, said the Belgian.

World No. 1 Spieth will head into this week’s SMBC Singapore Open in good form after mixing six birdies with two bogeys in his final round.

Perhaps sensing he needed just a little cushion, Fowler came through in what is becoming his customary clutch fashion.

“I felt like we were off this week, I didn’t make anything, I didn’t get in a rhythm, and when I did have chances, they just wouldn’t go in. I think 68 is the best I could have done out there with the places I hit it. I don’t think I hit a shot off the fairway until the ninth hole”.

“It won’t be something I’ll do in the future, to bounce back and forth from Asia or Australia as much as we did”, said Spieth, who since the Presidents Cup in South Korea in October has competed in Shanghai, Australia, the Bahamas and Abu Dhabi. “But like we said, I’m going to celebrate this and really focus on getting ready for Augusta and go from there”. I’m not 100 per cent right now. It would have been a classic had it been a major or, you know, not the crack of dawn back in the States. There was also a highly damaging spell during the Northern Irishman’s back nine to the third round and front half of the fourth; as played in one over par.