Graeme McDowell produced an excellent 64 thanks to three closing birdies in a row to share the first round lead in the Saudi International. Picture by GETTY IMAGES
FORMER US Open champion Graeme McDowell birdied his final three holes to take a share of the lead with Malaysia’s Gavin Green after the opening round of the Saudi International.
The Northern Ireland ace, who holed the winning putt at the 2010 Ryder Cup, also birdied four consecutive holes from the second in a superb six-under par round of 64.
The 40-year-old based in Florida, who grew up playing links golf around Portrush, battled the increasingly windy afternoon conditions at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club, to catch the early leader at the top of the leaderboard.
McDowell, who has nine other European Tour titles, including back-to-back French Opens in 2013 and 2014 – the last time he won this side of the Atlantic – was delighted with his start.
“I got off to a fast start which was huge, before the wind got up,” said McDowell, who was almost upstaged by playing partner Phil Mickelson’s nine birdies.
“It was inevitable out here in the Middle East – Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Saudi is similar – in that you get flat-calm mornings, but you know it’s going to blow in the afternoon.
“It was nice to get out of there with six-under par because I felt like I played great today.
“It would have been a horrible round to let get away,” added McDowell, who has seen Ryder Cup team-mate Lee Westwood become the second most successful player in his 40s on the European Tour, after his win in Abu Dhabi, which also propelled him to the top of the Race to Dubai rankings.
“But to finish birdie, birdie, birdie was nice, just feeding off Phil finishing with seven birdies on the back nine,” added Graeme McDowell, who played with three-time Masters winner Mickelson.
“It was Phil the thrill out there,” said GMac. “It was fun to watch him and fun to play with him.”
Five-time Major winner Mickelson bounced back from a double bogey on the second hole, posting nine birdies and three more bogeys in a characteristically entertaining round of 66.
The American is two shots back in a share of eighth position on four-under par, while compatriot and pre-tournament favourite Dustin Johnson, the defending champion, is a further shot back after opening with a 67 to sit on three-under.
Mickelson, who turns 50 in June, two days before the start of the 2020 US Open, said: “It was a great back nine.
“Part of the challenge for me is that I feel like I’ve been playing well but mentally I haven’t been as sharp.
“I haven’t been visualising and I haven’t been seeing the shot clear,” said the San Diego legend, who has 44 victories on the PGA Tour to his name, only second behing Tiger Woods, among current players across the world.
“It was certainly evident early in the round where I made a couple of shots that weren’t that hard that I made difficult.” added Mickelson.
“But the back nine, things really started to come together. Meaning I hit a lot of good shots.
“I started making the putts, and made a lot of birdies, and it was just a good back nine that gave me a good chance heading into tomorrow.
“I feel like my game is a lot sharper than I’ve been scoring, so it was nice having that back nine.
“Going into tomorrow’s round with hopefully less wind in the morning, I can get off to a good, aggressive start and see if I can continue making birdies.
“I feel like I can,” said Mickelson, who won the 2013 Open at Muirfield, a week after claiming the Scottish Open at Castle Stuart.
Green posted five birdies on the front nine and mixed three birdies with two bogeys after the turn to take the early clubhouse lead with the second wave of starters to come.
Green said: “I played solid. Only a few mistakes here and there, which is pretty normal.
“A couple of pretty big par saves, and a couple of mistakes, a couple of three-putts, which was tough to take in because I was playing well and I was playing solid.
“Just a couple slipped off. You know, it’s the nature of the game,” said 26-year-old Green, who has just one Asian Tour win under his belt.
“You just have to live with it and move on, and that’s what we did. We closed off strong, birdied 16, 17. Had a look at 18.
“Had a nasty little lip-out but it is what it is. I’ll take it, added the 2017 Taiwan Masters winner now in his third full year on the European Tour.
Swedes Stenson and Soderberg’s Saudi shift
SWEDEN’S Henrik Stenson, a Ryder Cup team mate of Graeme McDowell and a fellow Major Champion, is part of a five-way share of third place on five-under par,
Stenson is alongside compatriot Sebastian Soderberg, Spain’s Adri Arnaus, France’s Victor Perez and Venezuela’s PGA Tour winner Jhonattan Vegas.
Stenson said: “I attributed most of it to the putting today. It was still a struggle off the tee at times and the rough is pretty thick.
“I had to scramble well on a couple of holes, but the approach shots that were close I converted into birdies and kept it together nicely, so very pleased with that.”
•To follow live scoring during the second round of the Saudi International, click here.
