Graeme McDowell’s wife is not due to give birth to the couple’s second child for some months but she was called on to make a mercy dash delivery to her husband on day one of the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.
McDowell had inadvertently left his 7-iron in another golf bag.
Fortunately for the McDowell’s they reside on the Lake Nona Estate and located just over 30 minutes from this week’s PGA Tour host venue.
“I was on the range this morning when Kenny (Comboy -caddy) and myself noticed we didn’t have 7-iron as I usually have two golf bags over at Lake Nona where I was practicing late yesterday,” he said.
G Mac had to call on Mrs Mac to make an urgent Bay Hill delivery. (Photo – www.golffile.ie)
“Unfortunately, the 7-iron I needed this morning was in the wrong golf bag and still at Lake Nona so I arranged for Kristin to bring it over here to Bay Hill.
“She caught up with us on the 13th which was my fifth and thankfully I had not needed to play a 7-iron shot up until that point in my round.”
McDowell had moved to three under par, with back-to-back birdies at his 13th and 14th holes, but found the water in attacking the green at his 15th or the sixth of the course and then three whacked it to walk off with a double bogey in a round of 71.
“I hardly missed a shot all day and with the only disappointment three-putting the sixth or my 15th,” he said.
“I had a 5-wood in my hand and I aiming at the front right edge of the green, and knowing the pin is left, I just went looking for the flag and turned it over.
“So after playing so beautifully up until that point, it was a bitter pill to swallow taking the double.
“But then I can’t let that ruin what was for the better part of my round, a good day’s golf.
“So it won’t stop me celebrating St. Pat’s Day with a couple of Guinnesses.”
