It is a new tournament and he was introduced on the tee as the RBC Heritage Classic defending champion but Graeme McDowell admitted he was still suffering a ‘hangover’ from last week’s Masters disappointment.
McDowell holed a 10-foot pin-high putt on the smallish ninth green he was playing before joining his family for lunch in the Harbor Town Golf Links clubhouse five shots behind the leading American trio of World No. 6 Matt Kuchar, Scott Langley and William McGirt who lead the field by two shots.
McDowell’s picture on back and front of Heritage drawsheet,
Like the majority of players McDowell walked from the course wrapped in three layers given the bright but very cold conditions on this very popular tourist haven at Hilton Head Island.
McDowell’s dropped shots at his seventh, ninth and 10th holes but then found ‘something mentally’ later in his round as evident in birding three of his closing six holes.
“I was kind of on a fresh page this morning but there was still a bit of a hangover from last week,” he said.
“It is more to do with the way I am playing as I putting a little defensive out there.
“But in saying that I think also I may have found something mentally today, and I think I realised I have been far too technical.
“So I freed it up more coming into this round and we’ll see how that goes as I am now looking forward to getting back out there tomorrow.
“And to birdie the last is always a nice way to head into your next round. So it was good to finish strong as level par is a pretty good return for my efforts, as it was very difficult out there, and very Irish-like weather.”
McDowell’s defence of the RBC Heritage Classic will be his last ahead of a fortnight’s break before next teeing-up in the $US 10m May 8th commencing Players Championship.
“Being defending champion also has its own pressures but then they are self-concocted, if you like because there is an increased expectation level to do well,” he added.
“But thankfully I’ve had the experience of defending a few tournaments over the years and you get over that and you are level par again coming teeing up on Thursday.
“So I went out there today as though nothing happened last year.
