EUROPEAN TOUR: GRAEME McDOWELL believes he is playing well enough to win this week's Dubai World Championship, despite failing to challenge eventual winner Ian Poulter at the Hong Kong Open yesterday.
The Rathmore man started the final round just two shots behind overnight leader Poulter, but was undone by two bogeys in his first three holes.
McDowell recovered on the back nine with four birdies, but by then it was too late to threaten his 2010 Ryder Cup colleague.
But the US Open champion was not disheartened with his finish and felt there was little wrong with his game over the four rounds.
McDowell is second to Martin Kaymer in the Race to Dubai and he is confident he is in perfect form as he bids to finish the season as Europe’s number one.
“I’m within touching distance now of next week,” he said. “I’ve got to play well, simple as that.
“I can’t control Martin’s ball; I can only control mine. I’m going to go in there next week and try to play my own game.
“I have a few things to brush up on before Thursday, but, all in all, I have been driving the ball great, which is key to next week, and I’m feeling really good about my game.
“I’m playing well enough to win next week and that’s all I can ask.”
McDowell will have to finish in the top three in Dubai just to have a chance of denying Kaymer the European Tour number one spot. There is a difference of almost €291,000 between the two major winners and as fourth place next Sunday is worth €274,000 it would not therefore be enough for McDowell even if Kaymer finishes last. If the Ulsterman does come third (worth €356,000) Kaymer would have to be only 20th to stay top, but if he is second (€609,000) the German would need to be third and if McDowell takes the €914,000 first prize the money list title will be his as well.
Poulter’s victory was deserved, with the Englishman having recorded his first bogeys of the tournament only yesterday, while he also carded the best round of the week with a 10-under 60 on Friday.
“He’s a great player and it is great to see him back in the winner’s circle here in Europe,” added McDowell. “He’s a top player and it is great to see him playing well again.
“Personally, I’m very happy with my week, disappointed with my start, but no disappointments in general this week. So I am very happy with my form and very happy with the energy levels going into Dubai next week.
“Let’s be honest, it’s been a great year and anything that happens next week is going to be a bonus. I’m just going to go there and play calm and confident golf.”
Rory McIlroy also began the day in contention, but he never got going until the back nine where he fired four birdies and a bogey to close with a three-under 67. He finished on his own in sixth place on 18 under.
But just one shot back was a third Northern Irishman. Gareth Maybin rocketed up the leaderboard with a best-of-the-day nine-under 61. Remarkably, that included bogeys at the fifth and sixth, but also an eagle and nine birdies, including a hat-trick at the closing holes. And Damien McGrane also had a fine day, firing a 63, including and eagle two at the 10th, to share 11th place on 15 under.
Poulter now has his sights set on climbing farther up the world rankings but stopped short of staking his claim for the number one spot.
The 34-year-old from Hertfordshire shot a three-under-par 67 to finish one stroke ahead of compatriot Simon Dyson and Italian teenager Matteo Manassero, who shot a superb 62.
Despite enjoying one of his best seasons to date in which he won the WGC-Accenture Matchplay Championship and played a pivotal role in Europe’s Ryder Cup triumph at Celtic Manor last month, Poulter dropped down the rankings and by the time he arrived in Hong Kong he was 14th in the world.
However, he was in red-hot form throughout the tournament and has moved up to 11th in the World. Poulter is confident he can climb higher, but after causing a stir among his fellow pros two years ago by insisting he was the only serious challenger to then number one Tiger Woods when at his best, he was this time keeping his cards very close to his chest.
“I’ll try and win next week first (at the Dubai World Championship),” he said. “I’m not playing the game saying, ‘I’m going to get to number one’. I tried that once before and it didn’t work.
“I think I’ll just try winning next week and see how high I can go. Tiger has dropped a lot of points and (Lee) Westwood is world number one, but if I keep playing well, then who knows? I could get up there.”
Victory never really looked in doubt for Poulter, who had been consistently impressive since firing his second-round 60, and expected challenges from McDowell and McIlroy failed to materialise.
Dyson had been Poulter’s only real challenger after reeling off an eagle three on the par-five third before adding three birdies over his next four holes to put himself within touching distance. But he failed to build on that as he bogeyed the eighth and added just one more birdie coming home to finish with a five-under 65.
McIlroy had narrowly missed out on victory at the Hong Kong Golf Club in the last two years but was never really in the hunt as the final round progressed. “I’ll go to Dubai a little bit disappointed but I know my game is in good shape,” said the 21-year-old.
Hong Kong Open
Hong Kong GC
(Irish in bold and British unless stated, par 70)
258 - Ian Poulter 67 60 64 67 (€301,447).
259 - Matteo Manassero (Ita) 67 63 67 62, Simon Dyson 64 65 65 65 (€157,094).
260 - Anthony Kang (USA) 67 61 67 65.
261 - Graeme McDowell65 65 63 68 (€76,689).
262 - Rory McIlroy63 66 66 67 (€63,305).
263 - JM Singh (Ind) 63 67 66 67, Gareth Maybin67 67 68 61 (€46,665), J Donaldson 66 66 65 66.
264 - M Fraser (Aus) 68 63 67 66.
265 - Damien McGrane65 70 67 63 (€30,296), A Hansen (Den) 66 64 68 67, S Hansen (Den) 64 67 70 64, G Bourdy (Fra) 66 66 65 68.
266 - T Jaidee (Tha) 66 64 68 68.
267 - M Brown (Nzl) 62 69 65 71, K Ferrie 65 66 70 66, B Dredge 67 70 68 62 268 Darren Clarke 72 64 64 68 (€22,066), YE Yang (Kor) 68 67 69 64.
269 - B Leong (Mal) 68 68 66 67.
270 - M Both (Aus) 67 70 68 65, F Zanotti (Par) 67 64 70 69, K Bhasin (Ind) 68 67 67 68.
271 - A Siddikur (Ban) 72 64 66 69, W-T Lin (Tpe) 68 68 68 67, C Nirat (Tha) 69 66 68 68, J-F Lucquin (Fra) 68 68 71 64, Michael Hoey68 65 69 69 (€17,454), M Mamat (Sin) 67 67 70 67.
272 - S-y Noh (Kor) 70 68 67 67, D Drysdale 67 71 68 66, D Howell 66 69 71 66, G Bhullar (Ind) 68 68 69 67.
273 - P Junhasavasdikul (Tha) 69 69 69 66, S Barr (Aus) 68 67 68 70, G Havret (Fra) 69 66 68 70.
274 - S Lee (Kor) 67 68 72 67, J Morrison 67 69 69 69, J Knutzon (US) 70 67 72 65, J Pagunsan (Phi) 67 69 68 70, J Kruger (Rsa) 69 66 65 74, P Lawrie 68 70 68 68, K Ichihara (Jpn) 67 71 66 70, M Foster 70 67 69 68, JK Mo (Kor) 66 70 69 69.
275 - J Huldahl (Den) 69 68 70 68, C Montgomerie 69 68 69 69, S Strange (Aus) 68 68 71 68, Peter Lawrie70 66 72 67 (€7,958), Y Nam (Kor) 65 71 66 73, JM Lara (Spa) 72 66 68 69, R Gonzalez (Arg) 66 69 68 72, S Gallacher 68 70 68 69.
276 - C Phadungsil (Tha) 68 70 69 69.
277 - J Daly (US) 69 66 71 71.
278 - T Carolan (Aus) 70 65 67 76, SSP Chowrasia (Ind) 68 69 68 73, G Storm 69 68 72 69.
279 - I Steel (Mal) 69 66 76 68, R Davies 65 71 72 71, T Levet (Fra) 69 69 70 71.
280 - F Aguilar (Chi) 69 68 72 71.
283 - D Gleeson (Aus) 70 67 73 73, D Chia (Mal) 70 68 71 74, Paul McGinley69 68 73 73 (€4,160).
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