Graeme McDowell has brushed off any concerns of wrist injury after posting a five under par 67 to move two shots clear on day one of the WGC – HSBC Champions event in Shanghai.
The former US Open champion was sporting a bandage on his lower left wrist on a day when he recorded seven birdies on the Sheshan course in the Chinese financial capital.
Five players are tied in second place including the American trio of Rickie Fowler, Chris Kirk and Brandt Snedeker plus South African Tim Clark and England’s Tommy Fleetwood.
At the opposite end of the $US 8.5m leader board is American Billy Horshel who played alongside McDowell but with the reigning FedEx Cup champion coming apart at the seams and slumping under the weight of an embarrassing eight over par 80, and a massive 13 shots adrift of McDowell.
Graeme McDowell, with his left wrist strapped, on route to shooting a five under par 67 on day one of the 2014 WGC – HSBC Champions.(Photo – www.europeantour.com)
After his round McDowell was asked by www.golfbytourmiss.com if there was any concern with his wrist.
“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.
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.
Lowry teed up 51st in the world and needing a top-20 finish to break into the world’s top-50 for a first time in his career.
