McDowell and Hoey feel the pain

WHILE Shane Lowry was proudly walking Grafton Street with his Irish Open trophy, Graeme McDowell and Michael Hoey were in hospital after their opening rounds in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.

McDowell, who had to withdraw from last week’s Irish Open due to shin splints, said the injury flared during his score of 75 and he wasted little time in seeking an MRI on his right ankle.

Hoey was taken by St. John’s ambulance to Runnemede Hospital suffering from fatigue after nearly collapsing in a bunker at the 13th.

McDowell played with a heavily strapped right ankle and despite being advised by the Tour’s doctor not to play, the four-times European Tour winner battled on, recording just one birdie but two bogeys and a ninth hole double bogey.

He went to hospital for an MRI on his right ankle but his biggest fear, apart from missing next month’s US Open, was snapping his leg as England’s Richard Boxall did during the 1991 British Open at Royal

Birkdale. “It’s not very good, not very good at all. I just wasn’t feeling too good last night or early thismorning,” he said.

“I just hope it’s nothing serious because that’s three to four weeks out. I’m hoping it’s just bad inflammation but we’ll have to wait and see.”

Hoey near collapsed in a bunker on Wentworth’s 13th and complained of dizziness before withdrawing. A doctor looked at Hoey, who was one over par at the time, before organising for one of their ambulances to take the Belfast golfer to hospital for a series of tests.

“I have been struggling getting to sleep the last couple of weeks and I just haven’t been with it at all. I just feel dizzy. I was shaking and was having heart palpitations and didn’t feel well, said Hoey.

“The doctors think I am suffering from fatigue. I have been very pale but I just haven’t been able to get off to sleep for the past few weeks. It’s not as though I am thinking about these big events at night time, it’s just that I have really struggled to get a good night’s sleep.

“I know that because I’ve looked at my eyes the last few days and they’re been dark underneath. They’ve never been like that. I’ve also got cold soars and I’ve ever had them before.

“It’s just a shame I had to pull out of a big event like this but I felt out there I was nearly going to fall over. When I was in that bunker on 13, I just felt so wobbly. It just wasn’t nice.

“It wasn’t nice either to have to leave the course in an ambulance, so we’ll just have to wait for the result of the tests. I would like to play next week. It’s Thursday now and, hopefully I will can get a couple of good night’s sleep.”