McDowell Declares ‘Massive Progress’ Post Share Fourth At Corales Championship

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Graeme McDowell heads to Texas declaring ‘massive progress’ with his share of fourth place at the Corales Puntacana Championship in Puerto Rico.

McDowell was five-under coming to the last two holes but walked out with a pair of closing bogeys in a three-under par 69 and finish on 10-under in bright but windy conditions on the Caribbean island where he had won in 2019.

American Joel Dahmen, 33, captured his maiden Tour title courtesy of a closing round of 70 and win by a shot at 12-under par.

McDowell arrived in Puerto Rico having missed seven of nine halfway cuts since the start of the 2020/21 wraparound PGA Tour last September but will tee-up in Thursday’s starting Valero Texas Open in San Antonio with a first top-10 anywhere since his 2020 Saudi Invitational success.

He got his last round, and just three from the front, off to a great start with birdies at two and three before holing a 12-footer for a third birdie of his round at the par-5 seventh.

McDowell then holed a monster downhill putt for a birdie ‘2’ at 11 and then with mud on his ball just short of the green at the par-4 12th he chipped to some five feet, cleaned the ball as allowed, and sent it to the bottom of the cut to move to five-under par.

Then after brilliant birdie a day earlier at the par-3 17th, and where you play a Portmarnoch-like shot over the Irish Sea but here virtually over the edge of the Caribbean shoreline, the course got one back on McDowell in taking a bogey ‘4’ ahead of a 72nd hole bogey.

“Kenny (Comboy – caddy) and I had the conversation about it when we were finished at 18 because I mean, bogey-bogey today was very disappointing, but they’ve actually been very good to us this week, those holes,” said McDowell.

“It’s great to feel disappointed with a top-10 because it’s been a really, really rough three months this year.

“It’s actually been a rough stretch since last June, since we came back after the break. I really haven’t played the type of golf I know I’m capable of.

“It’s been a tough run and this is really a light at the end of the tunnel this week, so it’s really important that I sort of frame this up the right way. This is massive progress.

“You could look at those two bogeys and if you focus on those, all you see is disappointment, but I have to focus on the bigger picture, which is I’m back playing the kind of golf I know I can play. I’m going to San Antonio next week with a chance to compete in the golf tournament, which is what I believe I’m capable of.”

Padraig Harrington ended his Puerto Rican campaign with a final round 73 for a three-over par and one more than Seamus Power at two-over and also post a last day 73.

Harrington joins McDowell in San Antonio and with each looking to secure the last invitation into the 8th April commencing Masters.



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