Mcdowell can finally see light at end of the tunnel
GRAEME Mcdowell believes his fourth-placed finish at the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship at the weekend could be the result he needs to turn his season around.
The Rathmore man was on top form in the Dominican Republic, coming within two shots of taking eventual winner Joel Dahmen to a play-off but ultimately seeing a bogey-bogey finish cost him a chance at a shoot-out.
However, it was a vastly improved performance on his other showings so far this season, with Mcdowell having only made one cut in his six prior starts, with this his best performance since winning the Saudi International in February 2020.
And the 41-year-old believes he can see light at the end of the tunnel as he heads to San Antonio for this week’s Valero Texas Open, with a place at next week’s Masters Tournament on offer to the highest-finishing player who has not yet qualified for the year’s opening Major.
“You know, it’s great to feel disappointed with a top-10 because it’s been a really, really rough three months this year,” admitted Mcdowell.
“It’s actually been a rough stretch since last June, since we came back after the break. I really haven’t played the type of golf I know I’m capable of.
“It’s been a tough run and this is really a light at the end of the tunnel this week, so it’s really important that I sort of frame this up the right way. This is massive progress.
“You could look at those two bogeys and if you focus on those, all you see is disappointment, but I have to focus on the bigger picture, which is I’m back playing the kind of golf I know I can play.
I’m going to San Antonio this week with a chance to compete in the golf tournament, which is what I believe I’m capable of.
“Like I say, I’m a little shortterm disappointed, but long term I’m bullish about what’s going on.”
Meanwhile, Olivia Mehaffey is heading to this week’s Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship off the back of a fine display for the Arizona State Sun Devils.
The Royal County Down woman shot the best round of the final day of the PING/ASU Invitational as the No.8 Sun Devils finished in a tie for first with the No.23 Oregon Ducks.
Mehaffey shot a five-under 67 on Sunday and finished with the second-most birdies in the field for the week as she finished tiedninth on the individual leaderboard.
The tournament begins tomorrow, with the first two rounds played at nearby Champions Retreat before the entire field plays a practice round at Augusta National on Friday, with only the top-30 from the first two rounds competing in the final round at Augusta on Saturday.
Elsewhere, the International Pairs NI tournament has announced new dates for its first two events of the year.
The competition, which is open to golfers of any level from across Northern Ireland, will have two Tour qualifying events at the Hilton Templepatrick on May 21 and Moyola Park on June 11.
The events — which will be played as four-ball better-balls — are open to male, female and mixed pairs, with the winners of both events receiving an all expenses paid invite to play in the World Final which will be played in Portugal at the end of the year.