Graeme McDowell continues to count his Hero World Challenge blessings five years after the now notorious Tiger Woods ‘fire hydrant’ incident on the exclusive Isleworth Estate.
It was in 2009 when revelations of Woods ex-marital affairs surfaced forcing the then Number One ranked player out of his own event and throwing the door open for McDowell to take Woods place.
And despite a bogey on the last McDowell was reminded of those memories after posting a four under par 68 on the opening day of the $US 3.5m event.
“When Tiger withdrew from this event because of an incident here at Isleworth I was contacted and invited to take his place and that then started my own chain of events,” said McDowell.
Graeme McDowell ahead of dropping a shot at the last but in a solid four under par 68 on day one of the 2014 Hero World Challenge. (Photo – Fran Caffrey/www.golffile.ie)
“I finished runner-up that year to get myself into the top-50 that got me into Doral early in 2010 and then into the Masters then I kept myself in the top-50 the day before the US Open qualifier at Walton Heath and then I went to Wales that week and won the Wales Open and a fortnight later captured the US Open at Pebble Beach.
“So despite that bogey on 18 leaving a sour taste in the mouth this event has been very good to me because I’ve gone on to win it twice, and I just enjoy the atmosphere and the people here who do some phenomenal work for Tiger’s Foundation.”
McDowell’s round was a mix of six birdies, including four over the inward nine, and two bogeys that left him lying a shot behind the leading clubhouse duo of defending champion Zach Johnson and Steve Stricker.
“It was decent score on a tricky golf course with the greens very, very fast, and on a golf course where course knowledge is very important,” he said.
“But then to bogey is a reflection that is a very difficult golf course as I had hit a decent second shot into a tricky golf hole.
“It does always leave a sour taste in the mouth to drop a shot at the last but then I am sure I will have a cold beverage when I get back home and will have forgotten all about it.”
In contrast, Woods was 10 shots off the lead and in last place by four shots after shooting a five under par 77.
Woods ended a four-month injury lay-off slumping to last place on a private gated community where he was a resident for more than a decade.
The most-awaited comeback in golf was for the best part agony for the Hero World Challenge host who sent his opening tee shot into a neighbour’s back yard on route to back-to-back bogeys on the exclusive Isleworth course.
Woods then horribly ‘duffed’ chip shots at eight and 11 in a round that included one birdie at the 12th but four bogeys and an eight hole double bogey. .
