GRAEME McDOWELL IS rearing to go in Dubai this week – and aiming to end a memorable year on a massive high.
The 31-year-old has won the US Open, Wales Open and Andalucia Masters and also grabbed the winning point when Europe beat the United States in the Ryder Cup.
McDowell has one more target in mind – pipping Martin Kaymer to the Race to Dubai crown. The Irishman requires a top-three finish if he is to erode totally the US PGA champion’s €290,911 lead at the top of the money list and become the top European player.
Intriguingly, the pair are set to start together tomorrow, and Portrush man is looking forward to the showdown. The Irish Examiner quotes him:
It’s going to be mano-a-mano, the adrenaline will be pumping, it’ll be game-on and I’ll be up for it. It’s going to be good to look him in the eye and I look forward to doing that.
Any tiredness in there is not going to rear its head until this week is all over. This is what I needed.
Reuters reports that McDowell is glad he made the trip out east after a long season:
I guess after the Ryder Cup I could have probably put my feet up and taken 80 (in every round) for the rest of the year and still looked back and said ‘dream season.
I didn’t want to do that because I wanted to try and finish strong. You don’t get many chances to win an order of merit, or Race to Dubai as it is nowadays.
Money lists are very important — they define careers.
If McDowell wins the tournament, he will finish top but if he finishes second on his own then Ryder Cup teammate Kaymer would have to be third to deny the Northern Irishman the Order of Merit.
Should McDowell take third spot then Kaymer will have to finish in the top 20 to maintain his position at the head of the list but if McDowell finishes worse than third, the German will be crowned champion. Simples.
'It’s going to be mano-a-mano' - go-time for G-Mac
GRAEME McDOWELL IS rearing to go in Dubai this week – and aiming to end a memorable year on a massive high.
The 31-year-old has won the US Open, Wales Open and Andalucia Masters and also grabbed the winning point when Europe beat the United States in the Ryder Cup.
McDowell has one more target in mind – pipping Martin Kaymer to the Race to Dubai crown. The Irishman requires a top-three finish if he is to erode totally the US PGA champion’s €290,911 lead at the top of the money list and become the top European player.
Intriguingly, the pair are set to start together tomorrow, and Portrush man is looking forward to the showdown. The Irish Examiner quotes him:
Reuters reports that McDowell is glad he made the trip out east after a long season:
If McDowell wins the tournament, he will finish top but if he finishes second on his own then Ryder Cup teammate Kaymer would have to be third to deny the Northern Irishman the Order of Merit.
Should McDowell take third spot then Kaymer will have to finish in the top 20 to maintain his position at the head of the list but if McDowell finishes worse than third, the German will be crowned champion. Simples.
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Fightin' Talk Graeme McDowell Martin Kaymer Race to Dubai Ryder Cup US PGA