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.”

Thirty-nine-year-old GMac claimed his 11th European Tour title at the Saudi International, earlier this month.

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.

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Graeme McDowell claimed is 11th European Tour victory with a two-shot win over Dustin Johnson the defending champion in the Saudi International. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

GRAEME McDowell showed the kind of determination which helped GMac become a Major Champion as he claimed his first European Tour win in six years at the second Saudi International.

The Northern Irelander, who grew up playing links golf at Portrush, battled to a final round 70 to pick up a cheque for €529,337 – and a victory that propelled him back into the top 50 of the Official World Golf Rankings.

McDowell, who won in the Dominican Republic on the PGA Tour last year – having languished as far down as 238th on the OWGR at the end of 2018 – finished on 12-under par at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club.

That was two shots clear of defending champion Dustin Johnson, and good enought to claim his 11^th European Tour title – and first since the 2014 Open de France – a wait of 2,037 days.

An emotional McDowell, who is now ranked 47th in the world, said: “I didn’t realise it had been quite that long since I’d won here in Europe.

“I’m very excited. I’m very relieved. This is a difficult golf course,” said the former Rathmore Golf Club junior, who won six times in his final year at the University of Alabama, back in 2002.

The player known as GMac around the world added: “It’s unusual to win feeling as uncomfortable as I did on a lot of these holes because it was a tough golf course these last two days, especially with tough conditions.

“The birdies on 14 and 15 were just huge at the time, and it was nice to have a that little cushion coming down the last couple.

“My big goal this year was to be back in the Top 50 in the world, back competing in the big tournaments,” said McDowell, who was last guaranteed starts in the four Majors, back in 2015 at the US Open.

“I’m very excited that it’s happened a little faster than I expected, but hopefully it’s laying some foundations down for having a big year,” said the European player, who holed the winning putt in the 2010 Ryder Cup, at Celtic Manor.

“I really feel like I’m moving in the right direction, and it’s weeks like this that really give that you which I can additional effect and hopefully I can use it,” added McDowell, who was captured on TV calling his children as he walked to the scorer’s hut after holing the winning putt in Saudi.

“It’s been 10 years since I won a US Open, 10 years probably since I played the best golf of my life.

“I feel like I’m moving back in the right direction. I’ve got my head around what I’m trying to do with the swing and what I’m trying to do with the golf ball again, thanks to Kevin Kirk, who I started working with last August – and Pete Cowen, who has been by my side for many, many years.

“Kenny on the bag there – I have a solid team. Life’s settled down. I’ve got a great wife and great family.

“I’m very happy with what’s going on in my life right now. I feel like the pond, the ripples in the pond have kind of steadied out a little bit now, and I’m in a good place to play some good golf.”

And while McDowell admits wanting to impress his young children is a major motivation for his charge back up the world rankings, he acknowledged competing on Tour today takes even more than it did at his peak a decade ago.

Graeme, who began the week at 104th in the OWGR, said: “There’s so many great players in the world now.

“I’ve got young kids at home, and I want them to see me out there. I want to show them that dad’s tough. Dad can still do it.

“I didn’t want them to have to pull up YouTube videos,” said GMac.

“I’m really happy with the direction I’m moving with my game. Massive to have weeks like this.”

Graeme McDowell tees off on the 17th hole on his way to victory in the Saudi International at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

GMac held off Dubuisson & Johnson

FORTY-year-old McDowell, who won the 2010 US Open, at Pebble Beach, held a one-shot overnight lead over his 2014 Ryder Cup partner Victor Dubuission going into Sunday’s final round.

But GMac bogeyed the opening hole, and after a scrappy front nine the pair reached the turn tied at the top of the leaderboard.

McDowell birdied the eight hole and bogeyed the ninth, while Dubuisson birdied the third and fifth, but dropped shots at the fourth and sixth.

Frenchman Dubuisson could not mount a challenge after the turn though, carding a four-over par back nine of 39 in his round of 74 – to finish tied sixth on seven-under.

Instead, the main threat came from inaugural Saudi International winner Johnson, who eagled the final hole for a round of 67 to post the clubhouse target of 10-under, while Belgian Thomas Pieters signed for a 65 and a nine-under total earlier, after missing eagle attempt on the last.

McDowell bounced back from a bogey on 13^th hole with back-to-back birdies on the 14th and 15th holes.

The four-time Ryder Cup player took a two-shot lead down the last and despite leaving his third shot short of the green from a greenside bunker, he made par to claim a memorable victory.

He became the second Ryder Cup player in his 40s to win during the Middle East swing after Lee Westwood’s Rolex Series victory in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship two weeks ago.

And thankfully, the controversy of Friday’s second round, when GMac was given a formal slow play warning after taking part in an on-course interview with Sky Sports’ Tim Barter – a second slow time would have cost him an automatic one-shot penalty under the European Tour’s new policy – did not come back to haunt him over the weekend.

Johnson finished runner-up while Pieters shared third place with five-time Major champion Phil Mickelson, who closed with a 67 and Malaysia’s Gavin Green, who had been second with 36 holes to play, having shared the first-round lead with McDowell.

Johnson rues problems putting in the wind

DUSTIN Johnson’s recovery from his knee surgery last summer continued in the Middle East.

But the former World No. 1 admitted he could have pushed GMac harder in his defence of the Saudi crown.

Johnson, who won the US Open in 2016, said: “It was another day where it could have been a lot better. I’m happy with the way I’m playing.

“It was difficult to putt, though. It was really hard to make putts. I hit a lot of really good shots, and really good chances for birdie.

“You know, when you’ve got a left-to-right slope and you’re playing it outside the right, it’s tough.

“I was still missing them left. It was just hard to judge how much the wind was actually going to move the ball.

“I’m pleased with the way I played, but I would have liked to give Graeme a little more pressure coming down the stretch.

“I had some really good chances. I missed a real short one on 13, a close one on 14, 15, and 17.

“I had all the chances, but I did finally make a nice putt on 18 to finish.”

•For full results at the Saudi International click here.

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The pair, who have fond memories of living together at the University of New Mexico, will go head-to-head in the final group in Saturday’s third round, with pacesetter Perez one shot clear of his old college friend.

“I am very pleased the with the second round. I think it was important to keep the hammer down after obviously a 65 in the wind yesterday.

“I think they were definitely the tougher conditions, and it’s one of those days where you hope to stay a couple under.

Perez, who is based in Dundee where his girlfriend is studying, has proved very adept at links golf after his spell living in Scotland.

“I was able to play really well yesterday, and obviously coming out this morning,” said 27-year-old Perez.

“This is the round where you have to try to take as much advantage as you can and put some points on the board.

“Obviously I’m in a very good position for tomorrow,” said the rising star of French golf and the European Tour.

And recalling his time on the New Mexico team, Perez said: “We were roommates in college for four years and we are obviously very close.

“He played very well yesterday and I’m looking forward to playing together. Being on Tour together makes it really easy to catch up.

“He’s a great talent and he has been coming up and a long time so it’s only a matter of time before he breaks through.”

Perez – who claimed the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews back in September, posted his second consecutive round of 65 to move to 10-under par,

Meanwhile Malaysia’s Green carded a round of 67 for a nine-under total at the Royal Greens Golf and Country Club.

Green was looking forward to playing with his old college team-mate.

“Playing with Victor tomorrow, I think it will be fun,” said Green. “It’s just like college days again. We’ve been friends since college and it will be great fun.

“I’m sure we will talk about some stuff. It’s been a couple years. I think played with him probably last year, so it’s been a while. I know he’s been playing really good. Just have fun with him tomorrow.

“I’m excited just to be in the mix. I’ve been there a couple times and just try to put myself in the position a couple more times and see what happens.”

McDowell rolling back the years

FORMER US Open Champion Graeme McDowell, who shared the first round lead with Green, is a shot further back on eight-under.

The 40-year-old, who claimed his sole Major at Pebble Beach 10 years ago, added a round of 68 having been joint leader with Green on six-under, on Thursday.

McDowell said: “It’s always hard to come out right after a good round like I shot yesterday and try and keep the pedal down.

“I felt like I played pretty loose today. It was obviously better conditions this morning.

“I three-putted the 11th – my second hole of the morning – which sort of derailed me a little bit.

“I continued to hit fairways which is key on this golf course. I hit some really quality iron shots.

“I think the back nine in particular is quite difficult on this course,” added McDowell, whose last win on the European Tour came in his successful defence of his French Open title, at Le Paris National, in 2014.

McDowell was not thinking about winning after making a slow start to round two, but is pushing to be in the mix come Sunday.

“It was tough to get going,” GMac added. “A couple of birdies on the front were very pleasing and it was nice to hang in there coming in.

“All in all, very happy the way I hit the ball today and looking forward to being in position going into this weekend.

Defending champion Dustin Johnson signed for a round of 68 and is five shots back in a share of eighth place on five-under.

•For live scoring and to follow the head-to-head between Victor Perez and Gavin Green in the Saudi International, click here.

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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.

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Phil Mickelson is the seventh Major winner to sign up for the 2020 Saudi International at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club, from January 30-February 2. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

FIVE-time Major Champion Phil Mickelson will tee it up alongside compatriot and fellow American Ryder Cup star Tony Finau when the Saudi International gets under way at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club, in January.

The pair are the latest high-profile Americans to join an already world-class field for the second running of the European Tour event.

They will journey to King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) to compete for a prize fund of $3.5m with defending Champion Dustin Johnson, World Number One Brooks Koepka and Masters winner Patrick Reed for the Saudi Internatioal from January 30-February 2.

The Americans will also face stiff competition from a host of European Major winners, including Open Champions Henrik Stenson (2016) and Shane Lowry (2019), plus 2017 Masters winner Sergio Garcia.

Mickelson – a winner of 51 worldwide titles – has enjoyed a number of high-profile finishes in the Middle East but, despite 10 career European Tour victories, is still in search of a maiden win in the Middle East.

“I am really looking forward to playing in Saudi Arabia in January,” said Mickelson, the left-hander who spent more than 25 years in the world’s top 50.

“I watched Dustin win the title last year and thought the course looked like an interesting challenge.

“Having so many talented players on show also made it look like a much more established tournament than one in its inaugural year.

“I have enjoyed my previous visits to the Middle East and am looking forward to playing in a new country and doing my bit to grow the game in the Kingdom.”

Big-hitting American Tony Finau will seek his first European Tour victory at next month’s Saudi International. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

Ranked firmly inside the top 20 of the Official World Golf Rankings, the big hitting American Tony Finau, adds to the star studded line-up, as the 30 year-old looks for a maiden European Tour title on his first visit to the region.

“I’ve always believed that to be considered a world-class player, you must compete in premier tournaments around the world,” said Finau, who made his Ryder Cup debut in 2018 at France’s Le Paris National.

Finau added: “Playing in Saudi Arabia for the first time will be a great experience, and I’m looking forward to competing against what is already an exceptionally strong field, on what I have learned is a great golf course.”

The Royal Greens Golf & Country Club was designed by European Golf Design on the shores of the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah Economic City

Saudi’s Royal Greens on the Red Sea

ROYAL Greens Golf & Country Club lies along the spectacular Red Sea coastline and is set alongside a series of stunning residential and recreational facilities.

The club not only boasts a championship golf course and world-class practice facilities, but a state-of-the-art clubhouse which was recently voted the ‘World’s Best Golf Clubhouse 2019’ and ‘Best Course in Saudi 2019’ by the World Golf Awards.

His Excellency Yasir Al-Rumayyan, chairman of the Saudi Golf Federation and Golf Saudi, said: “We are excited to add two more world-class players to our tournament and are firmly on track to deliver another successful championship in the Kingdom.

“Phil Mickelson has been at the top of the sport for more than 25 years and it will be fantastic for the people of Saudi Arabia to watch him play up close, while Tony Finau will no doubt wow the crowds with his incredible power hitting and skill.

“Both will be a fantastic advert for golf, and I look forward to them both helping us drive the game forward in Saudi Arabia.”

The second instalment of the Saudi International will place a special focus on families, community, charity and junior development as the Saudi kingdom looks to develop its golfing pedigree.

“Bringing the world’s best golfers to experience what is KAEC has to offer is an exciting proposition for us,” said Mr. Ahmed Linjawy, group chief exectuive of KAEC.

“We are delighted to be hosting two more first-class players at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club, a multi-award winning development and the proud jewel of King Abdullah Economic City.

“Our goal is to establish ourselves as one of the region’s leading and most attractive tourism and leisure destinations on the Red Sea – in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 – and the profile this event attracts will speak for the quality of our experiences & offerings.”

•Tickets are now on sale for the Saudi International, priced at 50SAR per day or 160 SAR for a four-day tournament pass. For more information click here.

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