Graeme McDowell has muscled his way high up the leader board in the Honda Classic to be assured of a start in next week’s $10m WGC – Cadillac Championship at Turmp Doral.
The former US Open winner’s 67 saw him jump 14 spots and into a share of sixth place on the PGA National course.
At worst, if the current No. 73 world ranked McDowell should finish top-six then he should move into the top-50 and the assurance of travelling the 75-minutes south down the I-95 to Miami.
If so, it will mean McDowell will get to play all four events on the Florida Swing as he has intimated earlier this week.
And McDowell, who confirmed his wife is expecting the couple’s second child in August, has a good history of doing well at the Honda with three top 10s, including a T-6 in 2011 after a final-round 64 and two other ninth place finishes
“I’m not very good when I know I have to (shoot) 63,” said McDowell.
“I like a course like this where I know if I can shoot 5, 6 under par for the week it’s going to make a great impact on the leaderboard.”
McDowell’s position changed dramatically while he was sitting in the locker room.
Graeme McDowel (NIR) during round 3 of the Honda Classic, PGA National, Palm Beach Gardens, West Palm Beach, Florida, USA. 27/02/2016.
Picture: Golffile | Fran Caffrey
All photo usage must carry mandatory copyright credit (© Golffile | Fran Caffrey)
When the Northern Irishman finished, he stood nine shots behind leader Adam Scott, who was comfortably at 12 under entering the Bear Trap.
No sooner did the ink dry on McDowell’s scorecard than Scott dumped two into the water at the par-3 15th en route to a quadruple bogey, dropping to 8 under and five ahead of McDowell.
A birdie down the stretch moved the Australian to 9 under, tied with Spaniard Sergio Garcia and giving McDowell a more realistic chance in the final round, just six back.
“From 15 tee onwards,” McDowell said is where the course shows its teeth. “This is nearly as tough a course to win on as perhaps Players (TPC Sawgrass) is. As far as intimidating finishes goes, this is right up there.”
Graeme McDowell confirms second child due to be born 2nd week of August.
McDowell had made two birdies over the first three holes, but stumbled with a bogey on the par-3 fifth and a double bogey on the par-4 sixth, where he failed to pull off a hybrid out of the rough.
“I was derailed walking to the seventh tee box,” McDowell said. “But I managed somehow to hit a 3-hybrid to about 3 feet on the next (for a birdie 2) and that got me back on the rails again.” He played his final 12 holes in 4 under.
McDowell thinks the last round could produce just about anything, though low scores are unlikely. If he can keep his wits about him, he thinks could he could emerge victorious.
“I’ll take 6 under, if anyone is selling,” said McDowell, the 2010 U.S. Open champion, said of his target final score. “Whether that wins or loses, I’ll take that right now.”
