Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Any Port in a storm for Mcdowell
GRAEME MCDOWELL is just three shots off the lead at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in his adopted home of Florida after a sparkling round of four under.
The 2010 US Open champion capped his round with a 16-foot eagle on the 16th and admitted thoughts of his native Northern Ireland and the historic British Open at Portrush this July are in his mind.
Mcdowell, 39, is now ranked 259th in the world and the only major he is currently eligible for is the US Open back at the scene of his famous success in 2010 - Pebble Beach.
For the first time, the Palmer tournament this year is a British Open qualifying event, meaning the top three finishers not already exempt who finish in the top 10 will earn a spot in the field this summer at Royal Portrush.
“I only found that out on Tuesday, to be honest with you,’’ Mcdowell said after shooting 68 yesterday at Bay Hill.
“But listen, I’m focusing really on the big picture right now. I’m kind of of the opinion that good golf will take care of things I want to take care of.
“Of course the big goal this year is to be at Portrush and to play The Open Championship in my hometown, six weeks after Pebble and the US Open. It’s going to be a special summer if I can get myself there,” Mcdowell said. “And the game’s there right now, I’ve just got to get out of my own way and have a little fun with it and not have things like that rattle around in my head too much.”
Spain’s Rafa Cabrera-bello carded a seven-under par 65 in the €8.47m event while Mcdowell’s playing partner Shane Lowry, with three birdies in-a-row near the turn, signed for a 70.
“We were able to feed off each other, which was nice,” said Mcdowell. “He got it going early and I followed him.”
Defending champion Rory Mcilroy (above) needed two late birdies to card a level-par 72. The world number six birdied the third but bogeys at the fourth and fifth saw him go to the turn in one-over-par 37.
Mcilroy, 29, carded successive birdies on 16 and 17 before seeing a final-hole birdie effort from 25 feet lip out when it seemed certain to drop.