Mcdowell ends his drought in desert
Irishman celebrates his first tour title in six years Win in Saudi Arabia puts him in Ryder Cup frame
Who says the desert is no place for old men? A fortnight after Lee Westwood resurrected his career with an unexpected win in Abu Dhabi to thrust himself into the Ryder Cup picture, so Graeme Mcdowell did the same, beating a quality field at the Saudi International.
The fact that world No5 Dustin Johnson was two shots away in second and Phil Mickelson was in a group in third, with world No 1 Brooks Koepka down in a tie for 17th shows the merit of Mcdowell’s first European Tour victory in almost six years.
“This is huge – world-class field, the No1 player in the world here,” he said.
“Massive to win, massive worldranking points, and hopefully I can kick it on into the season.”
The 40-year-old’s final-round 70 for a 12-under total at the Royal Greens course north of Jeddah takes him back into the world’s top 50 for the first time in five years, a position that will give him access to all the year’s majors and the World Golf Championship if he stays there.
Just as pertinently, it hauled Mcdowell up the Ryder Cup standings for Whistling Straits in September and affords him the tantalising prospect of playing again for Europe for the first time in six years. The Irishman revealed afterwards that Westwood’s comeback glory at the start of the Tour’s Middle East swing acted as rich motivation.
“I’ve been trying to follow in Westy’s footsteps,” he said after collecting a cheque for £445,000. “What Lee has been doing is inspiring and the beauty of this sport is that you can play well into your forties.
“My big goal this year was to be back in the top 50 in the world, back competing in the big tournaments. I’m very excited that it’s happened a little faster than I expected.
“It’s been 10 years since I won the US Open, 10 years since I played the best golf of my life. But I feel like I’m moving back in the right direction.”
It was anything but comfortable for Mcdowell. Having held a oneshot overnight advantage, he was caught by Victor Dubuisson – his former Ryder Cup partner – before the Frenchman fell away on the back nine. The main challenger then became defending champion Johnson, who eagled the last for a 67.
Mcdowell bounced back from a bogey on 13th with back-to-back birdies on the 14th and 15th and carried the two-shot lead down the 18th.
Yet, despite leaving his third short of the green, he salvaged a par for his 16th victory as a professional.
Mickelson was another to prove that there is still life left in a long career, the 49-year-old shooting his own 67 to finish on nine under with Belgium’s Thomas Pieters and Malaysia’s Gavin Green.
“It was so fun to be back in the mix,” said Mickelson, who had fallen outside the world’s top 80.