Graeme McDowell was delighted this month’s Saudi International victory got him back in the world’s top 50 for the first time in five years – and a start in the WGC-Mexico Championship.
Picture by GETTY IMAGES
GRAEME McDowell tees it up in his first World Golf Championships event since 2016 at the WGC-Mexico Championship this week.
And the Northern Irishman is excited about the challenge of taking on a new course, at Chapultec Golf Club.
McDowell said: “I’ve played a lot of WGCs in my career and I think you do take them for granted a little. They are amazing tournaments when you get the best players from all over the world to come together here in Mexico.
“It’s the first time seeing the golf course for me and it’s a great track, reminds me a little of Valderrama – and obviously you’ve got the altitude so the ball goes a long way. But I’m excited to be back in these WGC events.
“It’s important for me, if I have aspirations of being in the Ryder Cup team, that I’ve got to be in the WGCs and Major Championships.
“So it’s really important to take that first step, to get my schedule to where it needs to be and hopefully I can kick on from here.
“We’re here to do a job this week. This is certainly not some icing on the cake from the win out in Saudi Arabia.
“This is about kicking on into the rest of the season and using these events as platforms to get where I want to be.”
It was his first victory on the tour in six years and one which moved him inside the top 50 of the Official World Golf Rankings for the first time in five years.
That in turn earned him a place in the field for this week’s WGC-Mexico Championship, and McDowell – who will host this year’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Open in May – is not taking it lightly as he strives to reach his goal of a return to the European Ryder Cup team in September.
Another Irishman targeting a place in Padraig Harrington’s side is Open Champion and a former World Golf Championships winner Shane Lowry, who returns to action after a two-week break.
Lowry is playing his first WGC since claiming the Claret Jug, having missed the Fedex St Jude Invitational while celebrating his Open win at Royal Portrush,
A refreshed Lowry, who claimed the WGC Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone, in 2015, said: “I’ve had a nice couple of weeks off.
“I had four weeks in a row at the start of the year so it’s a long four weeks when it’s the first run of the year.
“I felt like I played OK in Dubai and Saudi and I’m happy to be over here now, in Mexico this week and in the USA for the next couple of months.
“Hopefully I can put in a few good performances,” said Shane.
“Obviously I’ve won a WGC before so it’s nice and it’s a very tricky golf course here this week in Mexico.
“It’s going to take a lot of good golf to do well here, so we’ll see how it goes.
“I wouldn’t be overly optimistic but I never usually am and I try to come in under the radar and do my thing for the week.
“Hopefully I can pop up on the leaderboard come Saturday afternoon and give it a run on Sunday.”
Kinhult ready for WGC debut
Betfred British Masters winner Marcus Kinhult at Hillside GC, in May
MARKUS Kinhult, meanwhile, is one of 11 European Tour members making their debut in Mexico, and one of two – alongside Benjamin Hebert – to be playing in a World Golf Championships event for the first time.
Swede Kinhult, who won the Betfred British Masters at Hillside, in May, said: “I think it will be a lot of fun this week.
“Obviously I’ve been looking forward to this event since I got in. It’s my first WGC so playing against these guys is nice, to see where your game is at and how you can compete.
“I came here earlier than normal, late Saturday so I had Sunday to just walk around and get to know the place a little bit.
“I played the course, did my numbers and did my drills as I always do on every tournament week so it’s not too different.
“I’m happy to be here at 23, that’s nice, but my goals are set higher long term and I’m just trying to reach the next level and improve every day.
“But I’m happy with the progression so far and I look forward to what comes next,” who announced his potential when winning the Lytham Trophy by eight shots in 2015.
The teeanger, who played in the Summer Olympics for Sweden in 2014, led the Nordea Masters after 36 holes a month after his win at Royal Lythyam.
The son of a golf pro, who was a junior member at the same Swedish club where Berkshire’s Barry Lane and fellow European Tour member Joel Sjöholm are members, turned pro later in 2015.
But the Junior Ryder Cup player only made two cuts in his first season on Tour in 2016, having earned his card at the European Tour Qualifying School, at Spain’s PGA de Catalunya.
•For tee times in the WGC-Mexico Championship, click here.
