McDowell sees "light at end of the tunnel"; Harrington backs Rory's Cowen move
Graeme McDowell putts on the 13th green during the second round at the 2020 U.S. Open at Winged Foot Golf Club (West Course) in Mamaroneck, N.Y. on Friday, Sept. 18, 2020. (Robert Beck/USGA)
Graeme McDowell can see “light at the end of the tunnel” despite finishing bogey-bogey to end up two shots behind maiden winner Joel Dahmen in the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship in the Dominican Republic.
The 2019 champion (41) went into the final round three shots off the pace but after making five birdies in his first 12 holes to get within a shot of the lead.
He scrambled brilliantly for pars at the 14th, 15th and 16th but couldn’t control his ball flight in strong winds at the death and bogeyed the last two holes, carding a 69 to tie for fourth on 10-under.
Dahmen (33) shot 70 to grab his first win by a shot on 12-under from Rafael Campos and Sam Ryder but after missing five of his first six cuts this year, McDowell was looking at the positives and targeting the win he needs in this week’s Valero Texas Open to qualify for the Masters.
“You know, it's great to feel disappointed with a top-10 because it's been a really, really rough three months this year,” McDowell said.
“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 next week with a chance to compete in the golf tournament, which is what I believe I'm capable of.”
Séamus Power tied for 54th on two-over after a 73 with Ryder Cup skipper Pádraig Harrington’s 73 leaving him a shot further back in 56th.
Harrington, meanwhile, does not see Rory McIlroy’s move to his own coach Pete Cowen as a major “drama.”
“He will be great for Rory,” Harrington said. “Personally I don’t see any drama in it in the sense that Rory is an ebb and flow player. When he’s on, he’s the best in the world and he’s not bad when he’s not on.
“It could be timely for me because selfishly I want him to be in form in five months time so yeah, it’s a time where he stepping back and certainly Pete knows him for a long time.
“It’s not that I wouldn’t of recommended anybody else because there are excellent coaches out there but I’d strongly recommend Pete because his track record is obviously excellent.”
Harrington kept a close eye on the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in Austin, where potential Ryder Cup rookie Victor Pérez fell 3&2 to Billy Horschel in the semi-finals any by 2&1 to Matt Kuchar in the third and fourth place playoff.
“The Europeans did well. Clearly the stand out ones were Poulter and Victor Pérez,” Harrington said. “As Ryder Cup captain I was interested to see the results and it was nice to see Victor Pérez seems to be good at matchplay.”
Texas-born Scottie Scheffler (24) edged out Kuchar (42) by one hole in their semi-final on a day of 20 mph gusts.
But he was far from his best in a low-quality and turgid final and lost 2&1 to Horschel, who was an estimated one-over to Scheffler’s two-over as he captured his sixth PGA Tour title, and his first since 2018.
A former FedEx Cup winner, Florida native Horschel (33) was one down after four holes but he birdied the fifth to get back to all square and turned two up as local hope Scheffler bogeyed the seventh and ninth.
There were few fireworks on the back nine as they halved the next eight holes in one-over par figures to see Horschel crowned champion on the 17th green.
On the LPGA Tour, Leona Maguire bounced back twice from eights — a triple and a quadruple bogey — to card a battling 74 and finish 56th in the clubhouse on two-over in the Kia Classic in California.
The Cavan star was four-over for the day after taking eight at the par-five fifth but fired four birdies in her next six holes, then followed a quadruple bogey eight at the 13th with two birdies in her last three.
Stephanie Meadow was tied for 66th on four-over after a 76 at Aviara Golf Club where Inbee Park closed with a 70 to win by five shots on 14-under.
