Cockerill enjoying career year on links following move to Dubai

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This article was published 15/05/2024 (523 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Aaron Cockerill is a man on the move.

Whether it’s climbing up tournament leaderboards in Europe, chasing after his energetic toddler or hauling his possessions halfway across the globe, Manitoba’s top golfer hasn’t had much time lately to catch his breath.

“All part of the deal of being a seasoned pro at this point, right?” Cockerill told the Free Press in a telephone interview this week from Dubai, which is now acting as his home base.

The Stony Mountain product, along with wife, Chelsea, and 15-month-old daughter, Addison, were getting tired of tough goodbyes and lengthy flights required to balance life on the DP World Tour and precious family time.

The solution? Setting up shop in the United Arab Emirates, where they can be together while staying close to the action.

“We left Canada on Jan. 3 and just had one-way tickets. We had some short-term rentals for the first few months to give ourselves time, and now we’re in our permanent place,” said Cockerill.

“It’s going to be really good for my golf and seeing family with it being so central to where a lot of our tournaments are. Direct flights everywhere, and I’ve got access to three really good golf courses. There’s a lot of pros here so I can get some really good games and perspective.”

Although they plan to sell their home in Winnipeg, the Cockerill clan will still make frequent trips home during gaps in the golf season to spend time with family and friends.

It’s been a bit of an adjustment, one Cockerill admits has taken a bit of a toll on his recent performances. After a sizzling start to the 2024 season — his worst finish in the first six events was 32nd, with a fourth and a sixth sprinkled in — Cockerill hasn’t finished higher than 37th in his last six. That includes missing his first two cuts of the year.

“It was a good start, but I’ve been playing kind of poorly the last little while. Just lifestyle, moving and all that’s kind of come with that. Honestly it’s gotten in the way of golf a little bit,” said Cockerill, who has also been dealing with a nagging shoulder injury.

The good news is no damage has been done. He’s currently sitting 19th on the DP World Tour season rankings, coming off a career-year in 2023 in which he finished 76th. (The top 116 retained their full-time status).

That shows just how far he’s come, raising the bar significantly. No longer is it about trying to scrape by to play the weekend and cash a cheque. Now, it’s about finding a way into the winner’s circle. And, perhaps, status on the PGA Tour as early as next season, with the top 10 DP finishers this season getting an automatic promotion.

Now in his sixth year playing in Europe, Cockerill is on pace for his best season. He’s already pocketed more than C$750,000 in winnings this year, and the majority of the tournaments are still in front of him. His current ranking will also open doors for events he previously couldn’t get into, ones with larger purses and stronger fields such as the Scottish Open in mid July.

What it’s going to take to finish on top?

“I think once you get to a certain level, you can only squeeze so much out of that and I think the mental part has become so much more important once you get to that kind of level,” said Cockerill, who regularly works with a sports psychologist based out of Toronto through Zoom sessions.

“He’s just given me a few little things when I get in certain situations, whether it’s focusing on breathing or just little cues that we found that seem to help. I was kind of cautious to do it at the start, but it’s been very helpful.”

Cockerill also continues to work with his personal coach, Winnipegger Derek Ingram, on various facets of his game, although the shift to Dubai means fewer in-person sessions.

Speaking of Ingram, he has a pair of Canadian PGA Tour players under his watch in Corey Conners and Taylor Pendrith, who just got his first win last month. Cockerill hopes he can one day follow suit.

He’ll get a shot in two weeks when he tees it up at the RBC Canadian Open, slated for the Hamilton Golf & Country Club. It’s the third consecutive year he’ll play in the event as a sponsor’s exemption. He finished 48th in 2022, then missed the cut by a single stroke last year.

“As a kid who was chipping balls in the front yard to being able to play on the PGA Tour in Canada, that’s really cool,” said Cockerill.

Although he prefers playing in Europe over the Korn Ferry Tour, Cockerill would ultimately love to move home and join the likes of Conners, Pendrith, Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin on the biggest stage in golf.

“The investment in Golf Canada and what they’ve done over the last 10, 15 years, you’re really starting to see the results of it,” he said. “I think it’s probably the best spot Canadian golf has ever been in, especially on the men’s pro side.”

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

X: @mikemcintyrewpg