Fresh off another top 10 finish on the DP World Tour this past weekend, Stony Mountain’s Aaron Cockerill checks in with Golf Manitoba Director of Communications & Development Brian Munz.

Cockerill discusses the current status of his game, how he now feels playing against the best in the world, managing family time and much more!

For the second time in three weeks, Stony Mountain’s Aaron Cockerill continued to make waves on the DP World Tour.

Cockerill shot a final round 5-under par 67 to finish T6 on the Bahrain Championship’s leaderboard at 8-under par 280.

After bogeying the first hole in each of his prior three rounds, Sunday’s final round got off to a hot start with a birdie and then followed it up with three consecutive birds on holes four through six.

This week’s placing earned him 97.5 points and 74,707.91 euros ($108,535.65 Canadian).

For the final leaderboard, click here.

The 31 year old opened the 2024 calendar year at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic where he tied for fourth.

Stony Mountain’s Aaron Cockerill shot a 5-under par 67 during Sunday’s final round of the DP World Tour’s Ras Al Khaimah Championship in Dubai.

Cockerill made an eagle on the 14th hole to go along with five birdies, 10 pars and two bogeys.

With a tournament total 12-under par 276 (67-70-72-67), Cockerill tied for 23rd on the leaderboard earning 28.8 points and 21,929.16 euros ($31,387.80 Canadian).

For the final leaderboard, click here.

Just nine tournaments into the DP World Tour season, Canada’s Aaron Cockerill is already in the best position of his career.

Cockerill, from Stony Mountain, Man., tied for fourth at the Dubai Desert Classic on Sunday, firing a 4-under fourth round to finish at 10 under, just four shots back of Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy. That performance moved Cockerill 33 points up the Race to Dubai rankings to ninth overall.

“There’s still a long way to go but it’s obviously better to start in a good position than be behind the 8-ball,” said Cockerill, who played in his fourth tournament of the season but first of 2024.

Cockerill is the eighth highest-ranked Canadian on the official world golf rankings, sitting 219th overall. Keeping pace with high-profile players like McIlroy and Chile’s Joaquin Niemann, who also tied for fourth, at the Dubai Desert Classic was encouraging.

“I only lost to three other guys and a couple of them are really, really highly ranked golfers,” said Cockerill. “I mean, those guys are all within the top 30 in the world, I think so, it’s exciting.”

The 32-year-old Cockerill had some strong performances last season on the European-based DP World Tour, with a tie for fourth at the Alfred Dunhill Championship on Dec. 12, 2022, and a second-place finish at the ISPS HANDA — Championship on April 22, but then he struggled through the summer. 

He said he’s learned from that experience and plans to do things differently in 2024.

“I think a lot of that has to do with my habits away from the golf course,” said Cockerill from his home in Dubai. “When we’re over here at the start of the season I’m kind of secluded, in terms of what my normal day to day would be at home. 

“Here it’s: golf course, practice, gym, work hard. I’m going pretty hard and not really doing a lot in between. Not that I want to be a drill sergeant to myself the whole season, but I also need to know that I need to stay pretty disciplined and keep up with my practice habits.”

Stony Mountain’s Aaron Cockerill opened the 2024 calendar season with an impressive start.

Cockerill shot a 4-under par 68 in his final round to finish the DP World Tour’s Hero Dubai Desert Classic at 10-under par, good for a T4 finish on the leaderboard.

The fourth place finish earns Cockerill 339.7 points and 351,234 euros ($513,703 Canadian).

Rory McIlroy won the tournament at 14-under par.

For the final leaderboard, click here.

Manitoba’s Aaron Cockerill opened his 2023/24 DP World Tour campaign this past week at the Joburg Open in Johannesburg, South Africa. Cockerill completed the 72-hole event at a 3-under par on rounds of 68-70-70-69 finishing T32. The finish earned Cockerill $7,707 euros and 24 Race to Dubai points.

For complete results of the Joburg Open, please click here.

Next up for Cockerill is the Investec South African Open Championship November 30-December 3 being played at the Blair Atholl Golf & Equestrian Estate, Lanseria, in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Golf Manitoba Director of Communications Brian Munz catches up with Stony Mountain’s Aaron Cockerill at Golf Manitoba member course St. Charles Country Club to discuss his 2023 season and life on the DP World Tour.

For the second time in five tournaments, Manitoba’s Aaron Cockerill has cracked the top 10.

Cockerill finished the DP World Tour’s Soudal Open in Belgium at 11 under par 273.

He opened the tournament with consecutive rounds of one under par 70, carded a five under par 66 in round three and concluded play with a four under par 67. Saturday’s third round featured an eagle on the par four, eighth hole.

For the complete leaderboard, click here.

In the past five DP World Golf events, Cockerill has finished T10, T16, T21, 2nd and T13.

Manitoba’s Aaron Cockerill lost on a second playoff hole to finish in second spot Sunday at the ISPS Handa Championship on the DP World Tour.

Shooting a final round two under par 68 to finish 72 holes at -15, Cockerill would go on to par both playoff holes, while Lucas Herbert of Australia birdied the second extra hole to win.

Cockerill’s landing spot on this week’s leaderboard earns him just shy of $300,000.

For the complete leaderboard, click here.

WATCH | third round POST ROUND INTERVIEW (courtesy DP World Tour)

WATCH | first round POST ROUND INTERVIEW (courtesy DP World Tour)

MALELANE, SOUTH AFRICA – Manitoba’s Aaron Cockerill had four birdies and a bogey on the back nine to finish in a tie for fourth at the Alfred Dunhill Championship that was played December 8-11 at the Leopard Creek Country Club. Cockerill finished the event at 14-under par on scores of 70-65-70-69. It’s his first top 10 result in just his third start of the 2022/23 season. The result matches his third best career finish and it’s his third largest career paycheck on the European Tour. The finish also earned Cockerill 84.66 DP World Tour points moving him up 65 spots to 22nd place in the Race to Dubai Rankings.

For the complete leaderboard, click here.

Cockerill, a two-time winner of the Golf Manitoba Amateur Golfer of the Year award, retained his DP World Tour status for the 2022/23 season with a T27 finish at the Portugal Masters in late October.