Graeme McDowell has upgraded last week’s indifferent Masters effort from an ‘F’ to a ‘C mins’ ahead of his RBC Heritage Classic defence on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
McDowell crashed out of the year’s first Major with scores of 72 and 78 to miss the Augusta halfway cut five out of seven Masters showings.
He went onto Twitter ranking his effort an ‘F’ but now with the excitement of returning to the venue of his first regular PGA Tour win a years ago, the current World No. 14 has been a little kinder on himself.
“I was kind of joking at the opening ceremony here on Monday that coming here was like going on spring break after the exam that was Augusta but then I guess an ‘F’ is a little strong,” he said.
Welcome to the 2014 RBC Heritage Classic.
“I did a lot of things right last week, things that I’ve been working on, like driving the ball and my bunker play and chipping.
“But the thing that let me down was my strengths, my medium and short iron play, and my putting.
“Augusta kind of continues to still baffle me but then looking back it wasn’t an ‘F’, it was more like a ‘C minus’”.
McDowell had spent some time Saturday working on the Augusta range under the guidance of coach, Pete Cowen before the three-hour drive south-west, and through some real ‘Deep South’ townships before arriving in the tourist and golfing mecca that is Hilton Head.
Sunday was spent with his expectant wife and his own family watching coverage of the Masters with McDowell ‘blown away’ another lefty has won a Major.
“I played with Bubba three weeks ago and I knew he had a great chance at Augusta the way he was playing.
“He’s just taylor made for that golf course.
“But with six of the last 12 champions have been left‑handers that statistic blows me away.
“It speaks volumes of what it takes to win at Augusta.
“The right‑hander has to hook everything yet it seems easier for the lefties with Mike Weir, Phil Mickelson all with phenomenal short games, as does Bubba Watson.”
USA Ryder Cup captain Tom Watson and a former two-time Heritage winner has ended a 13-year absence to contest this week’s event.
And organisers have drawn the 64-year old to compete alongside 20-year old sensations, and joint Masters runner-up Jordan Spieth, with 2012 US Captain Davis Love 111 making up the three-ball.
“I like the way Jordan plays the game. He’s got passion,” said Watson.
“ I remember when I was a kid and playing the game. He makes me relive some of the memories that I had when I was his age.
“He’s done very well. He’s mature, as he talks to you and he has a good sense of who he is and I like that about him.”
