Graeme McDowell paid a heavy French Open first day price after the enjoyment of taking in the sights of Paris.
McDowell walked off the first hole of the stunning National Club course with a double bogey and never really recovered in carding an eventual one over par 72 on the par 71 layout.
Graeme McDowell commences his French Open first round with a double bogey. (Photo - Fran Caffrey/www.golffile.ie)
It left the former U.S. Open champion and current World No. 11 trailing seven strokes behind Sweden’s Christian Nilsson with three players, including Italian teen sensation Matteo Manassero in second place in carding 66s.
Darren Clarke and Shane Lowry head the Irish contingent in recording one under par 70s on the 2018 Ryder Cup host venue.
McDowell is contesting the prestigious French event for a seventh occasion but is making his first appearance since 2009.
And his first round score is the sixth occasion McDowell has failed to break 70.
But with girlfriend, Christine by his side, McDowell could not resist the lure of the world’s most romantic city and accompanied her sightseeing tour of Paris.
“I’ve been coming here for about six or seven years and it’s the first time I’ve ever been in Paris,” said McDowell.
“We took in the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe and it was great,” said McDowell.
“We also walked up the steps of Sacre Coeur, but from I have seen I was to come back and get to know the place better.”
However while McDowell impressed his latest love, the same could not be said for the spectators that set out to follow the Pebble Beach winning hero.
“I got off to a bad start by driving the ball the rough and could only slash the ball out and then I hit my third shot through the back of the green and didn’t get up and down,” he said.
But to his credit, McDowell immediately birdied the 11th but the gave the shot back at the 12th, before playing his last 11 holes in level par and successfully the negotiating the thick rough lining almost every fairway.
While McDowell is delighted to share the week with his American girlfriend, he’s also in Paris and using the Euro 3.15m event as a warm-up for next forthight’s British Open at Royal Lytham and St. Annes.
“I just forgot how tough this National course is and it’s going to be a fabulous Ryder Cup venue in 2018,” he said.
“If it becomes breezy over the next three days there will be carnage. But its just the practice I need at the moment. “
Esker Hills Lowry was pleased with a 70 that left him lying in a share of 21st place.
“I didn’t play great but still managed to score nicely which is unusual for me,” he said.
“Starting from the tenth I was two over for the my first nine. It was tough, the back nine here is very tough. But I picked up two birdies at the par fives on the way home hitting the greens in two each time with a three wood and two putting.
“And I made a lovel birdie at the fifth where having taken a 5-wood and then hit a 9-iron to 10 feet.”
However Peter Lawrie and Damien McGrane will need low second round scores to make the cut after posting respective scores of 73 and 75.
