Graeme McDowell ended the last found of his final stroke-play event of the season in Florida but with next year’s Masters in Augusta, Georgia already on his mind.
For a second time in three days, McDowell came unstuck in the Isleworth Estate fairway bunker down the right side of the 18th fairway in taking a bogey, and in a last day 71 for a share of 11th place at eight under par in the Hero World Challenge in Windermere.
McDowell commenced his round with a birdie but was observed bizarrely walking down the third replacing the spikes in his golf shoes.
“I had a set a spikes I’ve had in since the Ryder Cup but they were the wrong spikes as they were a little bit too long, and I just wasn’t happy with the way they were tearing up the greens,” he said.
So McDowell got word to the Isleworth locker room and one of the attendants arrived with a set of soft spikes back with the double French Open winner.
There was the sight (See Fran Caffrey’s exclusive photo below) of McDowell walking in just his socks as both he and caddy, Ken Comboy replaced the spikes in his shoes.
However the distraction added to McDowell bogeying the hole.
The bizarre sight of Graeme McDowell walking down the 3rd fairway and with he and caddy Ken Comboy changing the spikes in McDowell’s shoes. (EXCLUSIVE Photo – Fran Caffrey/www.golffile.ie)
He then doubled the fifth before a run of three birdies, including nearly slam-dunking his approach shot at the eighth hole before also birding 10 and then three birdies in succession from the 12th before ending with bogeys at 15 and the last.
“Overall I hit it much better this week than I did a fortnight ago in Dubai but I do have some stuff to work on in the off-season and that’s clear because I find this golf course difficult every time I play it,” he said.
“So this is where I will come the before the Masters next year and work on my game before heading up to the Masters, and I can do that what with the reciprocal membership we have with Lake Nona and here.”
“I came here and certainly didn’t see someone like Jordan shooting 25-under par, so I was never going to compete with that.
“But then I do need to come over here to Isleworth in the off season and practice on the greens because the putting surfaces are much more like what we find at Augusta than at Lake Nona where I’m based.”
Heads Up! Graeme McDowell takes a peek during his final round at the Hero World Challenge. (Photo – Fran Caffrey/www.golffile.ie)
McDowell has one remaining event this year and it’s next Thursday’s starting three-day Greg Norman hosted Franklin Templeton Shootout in Naples, Florida where he will partner fellow Lake Nona resident Gary Woodland.
“I’m looking forward to next week competing alongside Gary as he is a friend and also a neighbour of mine, and I am very much looking forward to playing off his tee shot for sure,” said McDowell.
American sensation Jordan Spieth joined Rory McIlroy this year in winning back-to-back tournaments on two different continents in storming his way to a stunning 10-shot victory after a final round 66 for a 26-under par victory tally.
The 21-year old Texan, who collected a $US 1m prize cheque, also eclipsed World No. 1 Rory McIlroy in winning a third pro title in just two full seasons while it took McIlroy three-and-a-half season to win three in capturing the 2011 US Open.
And Tiger Woods ended an injury-plagued 18th season with a rare share of last place with a final day 72 that included four birdies, a bogey and a hurtful triple bogey at 13.
“I waited four months for this week and I feel I am making some progress. I’ve got no pain in my back and with some of the drives I’ve hit this week it really enforces that, so I’ve done the right thing with my body,” said Woods.
