Graeme McDowell heads into the final round of the WGC – HSBC Champions event trailing three shots behind American Dustin Johnson, and while the Northern Irishman would dearly love to capture a first WGC title, he admitted every Race to Dubai point is now a prisoner.
After a ‘rusty’ display in last week’s BMW Masters McDowell is back in the deep end of competition and staring at a fourth success this season after capturing the RBC Heritage on the PGA Tour and then the European Tour’s Volvo World Match-Play Championship and prestigious French Open title.
His best finish in a WGC event was third behind Germany’s Martin Kaymer two years ago here in Shanghai.
And with the former US Open champion taking next week’s Turkish Airlines Open off, McDowell could easily go ahead of current European No. 1 Henrik Stenson with either a first or second place finish.
“It’s not the win tomorrow as second or third would be very pleasant to take back to Orlando,” he said.
“I have a lot of players to beat, including Dustin Johnson, in order to achieve that but I will be coming out playing aggressively.”
McDowell will play alongside Johnson for a third time in four days after being grouped with the American for the opening two rounds of the $US8.5m event and it’s something that McDowell doesn’t mind despite Johnson’s lenght off the tee.
“It’s a tiny bit demoralising playing alongside Dustin but then you learn to live with that and you try to hit your iron shots inside his slightly shorter iron shots,” said McDowell.
“I will just try and outplay him if I am to have a chance to win but then it’s going to be fun playing in the last group and it will be fun to get the juices flowing.
“So with the Race to Dubai at such a delicate stage every point now is important, so win loose or draw I will certainly be keeping my head down and seeing what I can do.
“I’ve just been a lot sharper this week and my play on Thursday and Friday is as sharp as when I won earlier this year at Harbor Town.
“I’m looking to keep this good form going into the off season and really try and build on this year.”
And with Ryder Cup colleague Ian Poulter also in the final group, it was suggested to McDowell could the European pair establish a combined pincer movement to derail Johnson’s victory quest.
“Ahhh, yes but then I don’t know and we’ll see,” said McDowell cautiously.
“Poulter is a fiesty character and I will be hopefully going away myself for the two of them but it will be really all about the start with the par fives the big key.
“There is an unbelievable number of birdie chances out there so the winner might not come from the last group.
“Poults and I are similar type of players so I will have plenty of company but as I said I have more to play for than just catching Henrik (Stenson) and while I will be focussing on a tournament victory every point is a prisoner for me.
“I am not going to play turkey so it will be nice to have a Race to Dubai gap that will certainly be in with a shout when I go to Dubai.”
