McDowell has what it takes, says Crenshaw

TWO-TIME Masters champion Ben Crenshaw paid Graeme McDowell a glowing tribute at Augusta yesterday, stressing that he has “loads of talent and a beautiful rhythm.”

Sadly, it still didn’t prevent the Portrush man from missing the halfway cut by a single shot, a fate that also befell Pádraig Harrington.

It was little wonder that Harrington should have been down in the dumps on Saturday. It was the second time in three years he failed to make it into the week-end at Augusta. For rookie McDowell, there was at least the satisfaction that he had learned from his trials and tribulations of the first round when he shot 79 and looked to have little hope of making the cut. Instead, he fought back with a splendid 70 and a total of five over 149.