Graeme McDowell wins European Tour Shot of the Year award

Graeme McDowell’s already-long list of awards from the 2010 season has been added to yet again, with news that the US Open champion has been awarded the European Tour Shot of the Year for his crucial 16th hole birdie putt at the 2010 Ryder Cup.

The Portrush player had already garnered quite a collection of awards and trophies throughout the season, following an impressive year which included a major win at Pebble Beach as well as representing Europe at The Celtic Manor Resort, Wales in the Ryder Cup. McDowell also won three other tournaments throughout the year – the Wales Open, which was also played at The Celtic Manor, the Andalucia Valderrama Masters and the Chevron World Challenge.

Read more

McDowell beats Woods in Chevron World Challenge play-off

Graeme McDowell capped a hugely impressive 2010 season with a play-off success over Tiger Woods at the Chevron World Challenge, after overhauling a four-shot final round deficit.

Woods had been poised to end his 2010 losing streak with a victory in his own tournament, but perhaps found the now-unfamiliar sensation of being in contention on the final day un-nerving and make a clutch of errors – including a double bogey at the par-5 13th hole which resulted in a 3-shot swing after McDowell birdied the same hole to take the lead.

It was the first time in his career that Woods had lost a tournament after leading by three shots or more heading into the final day, but the former world number one can take great comfort in the way he competed this week.

“It was a great week, even though I didn’t win,” Woods said. “I’m proud of the way I played today, even though I lost.”

A 20-foot all-or-nothing birdie putt on the last hole by McDowell forced the conclusion into a playoff after the pair had headed down the 18th level, and Woods had drilled his approach to three-feet for a sure-fire birdie of his own.

In the playoff over the same hole, McDowell holed another birdie putt from about 25 feet. Woods had about 15 feet to extend the playoff, but it missed just right of the hole to hand McDowell victory.

“Those were probably two of the great putts I’ve made,” McDowell said afterwards. “He will be back to winning tournaments very soon.”

The win earned McDowell $1.2million and moved the Irishman up to seventh place in the latest Official World Golf Ranking.

Victory in sight for Tiger at Chevron World Challenge

Tiger Woods maintained his four shot lead over the rest of the field in the Chevron World Challenge with a third round 68 to close on 17-under par.
Woods’ four-shot advantage over Graeme McDowell was in no small part down to three straight birdies early on, which Woods added to with another birdie on the last hole.

“Looks like he’s finding his form,” quipped Luke Donald, after the Englishman watched Woods fire his approach to the last almost stone-dead.

US Open champion Graeme McDowell briefly managed to close to within one shot of Woods, but as has been the case so often in bygone years, Woods simply slipped up a gear and quickly re-established his control on the tournament.

Victory this week would be a welcome win for Woods after a torrid year in the wake of his much publicised fall from grace, and he is just 18 holes away from returning to what used to be familiar territory for the former world number one, but has so far been a stranger in 2010.

“I’m excited about tomorrow because of the way I’m playing,” Woods said.

Rounds of 65-66-68 mark the first time Woods has carded four successive sub-70 rounds in 2010, when added to his closing 65 in the Australian Masters two weeks ago, and after months of looking like an ordinary player, Woods is finally beginning to resemble the player who can boast 82 tournament career wins and 14 majors.

Its not the first time in 2010 that Woods has threatened to turn the corner and get back to his old imperious self, and the player himself was keen to stress that he isn’t getting too far ahead of himself, even though he has never lost a tournament where he has gone into the final round with a lead of three or better.

“To be honest with you, I don’t look at it that way when I’m out there playing,” he said. “I’m just in the moment, trying to put the golf ball on different sides of the fairway, where I need to put it on the green. I just play. You would think that my mind might go there, but it’s good discipline. Feels good.”

Woods strengthens grip on Chevron World Challenge

Tiger Woods, still searching for his first tournament win of the season, strengthened his grip on the Chevron World Challenge after extending his lead at the half-way stage to four shots.

After taking a two shot lead following the first round, Woods consolidated his position with a round of six under 66 to put him 13 under par overall. Woods’ round consisted of an eagle as early as the second hole, and further birdies followed at the 4th, 5th, 11th and 16th holes to give the former world number one his best 36-hole total this year.

US Open champion Graeme McDowell moved into sole possession of second place on 9-under par following a round of 69, while a double-bogey on the last hole cost Rory McIlroy at least a share of second place and the young Irishman finds himself in a tie for third along with Ryder Cup team-mate Luke Donald, one shot behind McDowell.

Paul Casey vaulted up the leaderboard courtesy of a second round 65, which included a hole-in-one to move into sole fifth place on 6-under par while Ian Poulter shares sixth place on 5-under par, alongside Nick Watney, Sean O’Hair and Hunter Mahan.

Woods takes Chevron World Challenge lead

Tiger Woods shot an opening round of 65 to match his best round of the 2010 season so far, in the Chevron World Challenge at Thousand Oaks, California to take a one shot lead over European Ryder Cup pair, Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell.

The event, which is hosted by Woods, features an invited field of just eighteen players but does not include current world number one, Lee Westwood, who is competing in the Nedbank Challenge in South Africa. Nevertheless, Woods could return to the top of the world rankings with a win here and could also snap a losing streak that dates back to November 2009.

Woods missed only two greens and putted for eagle four times during his round, but dropped a shot at the last after his drive landed behind a tree. However, he still managed to top the leaderboard for only the second time this season.

“It’s not too often you can say I shot 65 and only made one putt, but that’s kind of what I did today,” Woods said. “I only made one putt and it was on 9. The rest were either two-putts or kick-ins. It was a good ball-striking day.”

McDowell and McIlroy both shot rounds of 66, but the pair – who enjoyed a fruitful partnership at The Celtic Manor in October as Europe regained the Ryder Cup, would have combined to shoot a best ball round of 61.

2010 major tournament nearly-man Dustin Johnson and 2009 Open champion Stewart Cink share a tie for fourth place, a further three shots behind the Northern Irish duo, after carding rounds of 69 while Luke Donald joined Camilo Vilegas on 2-under par after rounds of 70.

A six-way tie for eighth sees Dubai World Championship runner-up Ian Poulter alongside Hunter Mahan, Sean O’Hair, Steve Stricker, Nick Watney and FedEx Cup series winner Jim Furyk after the sextet shot level-par rounds of 72.

Next Page »