Graeme McDowell believes the retirement of the European Tour CEO is ‘perfect timing’ not only for the Tour to appoint a ‘maverick’ replacement but to also get Europe on par with the lucrative PGA Tour.
Irish-born George O’Grady will confirm later his month at the season-ending DP World Tour Championship that he’s stepping down after more than 40 years working on the European Tour.
O’Grady’s decision comes soon after R & A CEO Peter Dawson indicated he will also vacate his St. Andrews offices while PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem is due to turn his back on golf’s most lucrative Tour at the end of 2016.
Graeme McDowell suggests the European Tour needs a ‘maverick’ to take over the reins after the retirement of George O’Grady. (Photo – Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie)
McDowell, now as one of the senior players competing on both sides of ‘The Pond’, was asked about the direction the European Tour will now take after he had stormed his way to a two shot lead afte the first day of the WGC – HSBC Champions event in Shanghai.
“It has been a very difficult five or six years for the tour, and I don’t think George O’Grady can be blamed for where the European Tour is at the minute,” said McDowell.
“There’s a lot of variables that have contributed to where we are right now – the PGA Tour being the biggest variable; the economic situation being another.
“There’s no doubt we are in need of someone to step in and really work out where we go from here.
“I’d say George O’Grady has given 40 years service to the European Tour. He’s been highly committed to growing the Tour as we’ve seen in what the Ryder Cup’s become and what Asia’s become.
“As far as his replacement goes, it has to be someone who views the game of golf on a global scale and really be dynamic and perhaps a maverick to try to push the envelope, to put this tour back where it deserves to be, up there, if not on a par with the PGA Tour.”
However of more immediate interest to McDowell was keeping himself ahead the chasing pack in Shanghai.
The current World No. 17 is chasing a second victory this season despite interest in his left being heavily bandaged.
“It’s nothing sinister and just the result of some tough working on my swing at the minute, especially in my short game,” he said.
“I’m really trying to throw the club head hard at the ball and it’s putting kind of more strain in my left wrist than I’m used to.
“I have a lot of kind of pronation in my left wrist, I don’t know if it’s pronation or supination, you will have to look up Google, but it’s kind of a hard move for me to really release my left wrist back against itsef.
“But it’s nothing structural in my wrist. It’s just a muscular kind of tightness thing and it just makes me feel a bit more stable when I strap it up.
“So nothing too sinister I hope.”
And McDowell indicated he does not need pain-killers or anti-inflamatories while the wirst is strapped.
However fellow Irishman Shane Lowry is no closer to breaking into the world’s top-50 posting a horror first round 78 and slumping to a share of 71st place in the now 78-player field.
