Fowler (51), who joined the professional tour in 1979, had a bad patch in the mid to late 1990s when he lost his European tour card.
"I'd played the tour for 17 years and sometimes you just get fatigued mentally and physically," he said.
He had lost his card and left the European tour in 1996.
"I started to play better two years later and in 1999 I decided to go back to the tour school and got my tour card back," he said.
It took him three years to feel comfortable on the tour again.
But there were problems because he had run out of money and his professional career was saved by good mate Greg Turner.
"Greg let me stay at his house in London with his wife, Jane, and family," he said.
"Otherwise I wouldn't have been able to afford to play the tour.
"I put my return to good form down to the help I received from the Turner family."
The Turner connection has continued and poet Brian Turner will caddy for him in the City of Dunedin Legends Pro-Am in Dunedin at the weekend.
He knew Brian when he was caddy for his brother in the early 1990s.
"Brian wasn't a fulltime caddy so when he came over to Europe he started caddying for me a few times."
Fowler does not usually read poetry but he makes an exception for Brian Turner's work.
"It's good when you know someone. You can read their stuff and hear them talking," Fowler said.
The highlight of his career was to win the World Cup with Wayne Grady for Australia in 1989. Professional golf is usually an individual sport so Fowler enjoyed the chance to be part of a team.
"We had great fun and it was great to pull it off," he said.
The United States has dominated the World Cup and won the event 23 times, South Africa five times and Australia four times.
Peter Thomson and Karl Nagle were the Australian team on the other three occasions.
Fowler always played in Australian tournaments and enjoyed the Asian circuit, but Europe was his main focus.
"In 1987, the European tour expanded and became much longer so I had to give Asia the flick for a few years. But I still play the odd tournament up there," he said.
Fowler joined the seniors tour two years ago.
"I've played with old friends Terry Gale, Roger Davis, of Australia, and New Zealander Simon Owen," he said.
"It's been great fun."
He finds it more relaxing because there are not so many tournaments. On the European tour it is reduced to three rounds.
"I can have a day off after flying in for a tournament and you still have a couple of days to prepare."
Fowler would like to play on the seniors tour in the United States for a couple of years.
He does not take anything for granted and works hard on his fitness.
He spends between one and two hours in the gymnasium each day lifting weights, and doing balance exercises, stretching and co-ordination and explosive work.
He also does meticulous preparation before each tournament.
At Balmacewen yesterday he played the full 18 holes and noted down key points about the course.
"It's a complicated game," he said. "You have to know what's on the course before you can work out where to go."
"I write all the information down and put it into a plan so I can execute it on the day."
He has played at Balmacewen six times, most recently in the late 1990s.
Legends golf
- Peter Fowler
• Age: 51.
• Born: Hornsby, New South Wales.
• Residence: Auckland.
• Turned professional: 1977.
• Current tours: PGA in Australia, European seniors.
• Professional wins: 9.
• Highlight: World Cup win in 1989 with Wayne Grady.
• Recent performances: Won Tasmanian seniors; runner-up in Australian PGA.
City of Dunedin Legends Pro-AmDate: February 25-27.
• Venues: St Clair, Balmacewen.
• Pro-Am: Today and Saturday.
• Professionals only: Sunday.
• Prize money: $45,000.
• Key professionals: Peter Fowler, Ossie Moore, Peter Ormsby, Rod Salter (Australia); Peter Davis, • Jim Lapsley, Craig Owen, Peter Stoddart, Sir Bob Charles (NZ); Terry Dill, David Hill (USA); Ken Tarling, Ian Clarke (Canada).
