By Tom Pilcher
LYTHAM ST ANNES, England, July 22 (Reuters) – At the U.S.
Open two years ago it was Graeme McDowell who kept calm when
everyone around him wilted on a nervy final day but he could not
repeat the act in a similarly frantic British Open climax.
McDowell, partnering Adam Scott in the final group of the
day as the Australian’s heartbreaking collapse handed Ernie Els
a fourth major title, moved within three shots of the lead with
a birdie at the eighth and had the galleries firmly on his side.
Then came a run of three straight bogeys including probably
the worst shot the world number 12 has played in a long time.
“Card wrecker,” was the Ryder Cup player’s assessment of an
ugly duck-hook into the trees on the par-five 11th on his way to
a five-over 75 which earned a share of fifth spot with world
number one Luke Donald.
“I moved my body left in an attempt not to get the club
flailing right and that was just a bad pull, 15-handicapper.”
McDowell made no excuses despite experiencing more difficult
weather conditions on Sunday.
“You’re going from playing flat-pan golf for a few days to
playing in a strong crosswind,” he said after winding up on
two-under 278, five adrift of South African Els.
“There are things you have to change in your game and I
didn’t do that well today.
Continued…
