By Ashlea Hellmann And Trevor Joelson
Derek Fathauer likes to talk to animals on the golf course.The senior golfer says they help him to stay concentrated during matches.”When you are walking between shots, you want to keep your mind off golf,” he said.Derek said the animals will tell him different things, like “have a nice day” or “stay away from the woods.” He added the course can get lonely depending on who he is paired up with.”If I am playing with [the University of Kentucky] I’d definitely rather talk to the animals,” he said.Derek isn’t alone with his quirky antics on the course. His identical twin brother, Daryl, has a peculiarity of his own.”I listen to [Derek] talk to animals, and I tee up like two feet in front of the tee marker,” Daryl said.The idiosyncrasies seem to be working for the brothers, both of whom were named All Big-East performers following their junior campaigns.While they have a unique style on the course, the daily lives of the touted twins from Jensen Beach, Fla., are very similar. Get up for 6 a.m. workouts, go to class by 8 a.m., go to practice at 2 p.m., and get home around 6 p.m. to do some homework for their sports administration classes and watch MTV’s “Rob and Big.”Somewhere in that busy day, it’s vital to find time to stop at Qdoba for lunch and dinner. Derek prefers a quesadilla with rice, corn and chicken, while Daryl prefers the queso burrito from their favorite eatery.And the two like to keep their own unique look.Derek sports a long, shaggy haircut and is self proclaimed as shy, while Daryl has short hair and is much more talkative than his brother.Daryl said Derek is “the ladies man” and a good dancer, while he has a steady girlfriend, but can also pull out some swift dance moves of his own.Just like their look, their style of play on the course is different.”[Derek] is a good putter, he is pretty good at everything,” said Daryl about his brother, who earned Third Team All-American last year.
When Derek was asked about his brothers strength he responded, “[Daryl’s] short game, he is really good with his wedges.” It was Daryl’s short game that helped him to win the 2007 Big East individual title.
The brothers spend a lot of time together, especially on the golf course. Both enjoy playing at the Cardinal Club and Oakmont Country Club.
Their frequent play has translated to success on the course. They were invited to compete in the Ginn sur Mer Classic in October, a sanctioned PGA tour event.
Word of their abilities has spread throughout the U of L athletic department. Both brothers have been approached by football players looking for some golf lessons.
“They all want us to take them out, and we will when we have time,” Daryl said. “We’ve grown up with them, they are a bunch of chumps, and I don’t think they make clubs that big.”
For anyone wanting lessons that might not be friends with the brothers, tee times and lessons are available, but at a cost.
“Bake us a batch of banana nut bread,” Derek said.
“Or a trip to Dairy Castle or clean our kitchen,” Daryl added.
The Fathauer’s don’t appear to have much free time ahead of them. They are competing in the Morris Williams Invitational in Austin, Texas this weekend, followed by a tournament in Columbus before the Big East Championships begin on April 20.
