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McDowell looks to light up Firestone

Graeme McDowell is quietly confident a decision to journey from Orlando, Florida to Akron, Ohio via Kiawah Island, South Carolina will lead to glory later next week along the Atlantic Ocean shoreline.

McDowell organised the services of a local caddy, and in the company of his father, Kenny delighted in the opportunity to savour a practice round on next week’s rain-softened PGA Championship venue: “We got in here to Akron about 8pm last night (Tuesday) but the decision to play Kiawah Island earlier in the day was time very well spent,” he said.

“I just liked the look of the golf course so much. The front nine is very playable but the back nine has some yardage to it and we played the inward nine in about a 15 to 20mph southerly breeze.”

While McDowell’s primary focus is now on starting today’s $8.5m (€6.9m) WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, his results this year suggest his pre-Majors build-up has translated into some very strong finishes but just falling short of claiming a second Major Championship victory.

McDowell was 12th in the Masters, runner-up in the US Open and went within a whisker of following fellow Irishman Darren Clarke in being handed the Claret Jug before ending fifth at Royal Lytham and St Annes.

“The Majors have been good to me this year and that’s why I am excited about next week and it would be nice to finish the season in glory,” he said.

“However the thing about the PGA Championship is that it probably doesn’t get the recognition it deserves, being a Major.

“It might not have the history and tradition as the other three but in many ways it has the deepest field and the toughest field, and the best field of the year as far as the Major Championships are concerned.”

McDowell is making his seventh appearance in the Bridgestone Invitational whereas Belfast’s Michael Hoey makes his debut courtesy of his victory in last year’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship where he relegated Rory McIIroy and McDowell into respective second and third places at St Andrews.

Earlier this week, Hoey was afforded an invitation to join McIlroy and McDowell in next week’s PGA Championship where he will also make his debut.

However Hoey will use his two weeks in the States as a “yardstick” become committing to attending the PGA Tour School at the end of the year, with the goal of joining the US Open-winning duo full-time in the States in 2013.

“I would love to play on the PGA Tour next year but I have decided to use these two weeks as a yardstick on how I perform over here,” he said.

“But it’s just awesome being here at Firestone and what a great set-up.”

Hoey will play the opening two rounds in the company of England’s Tom Lewis and tees up at 2pm Irish time.

McIlroy will partner Japan’s Ryo Ishikawa teeing off at 6.20pm Irish time while McDowell is out alongside American Brandt Snedeker at 7pm Irish time.

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