McDowell forced to dig deep

IT WASN’T quite a knockout blow but Graeme McDowell had to dig deep into his reserves to remain defiantly upright after Race to Dubai rival Martin Kaymer gave him a first round pasting in their duel at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

Needing at least a top-three finish in the Dubai World Championship to have any chance of overhauling the young German at the top of the money list and become European No 1, the US Open champion staggered back to his corner five shots adrift after carding a level-par 72 to the US PGA champion’s impressive five under par 67.

It’s not over yet but McDowell, pictured, knows that he’s on the ropes and must produce a big weekend if he is to prevent the “emotionless” 25-year old from Dusseldorf from becoming king of Europe.

“Obviously it was a tough day because Martin gets out of the traps early, birdies two and holes the second shot on three,” McDowell said.

“He literally left me in the dust out there”.

It was a mixed day all round for the seven Irish contenders with Darren Clarke and Rory McIlroy the only members of the seven-strong green army to break par after one under 71s.

Pádraig Harrington was one under through six but his round unravelled when he plugged his third in a bunker at the par-five 17th, failed to get out first time and followed a bogey there with further dropped shots at the eighth and ninth.

What disgusted him more than his score was that he tapped in a one-inch putt with the back of his putter at the 15th.

“I’ve never tapped-in a putt with the back of my putter in 14 years on tour,” he said. “I’m just disgusted I would be that lackadaisical. I missed a short putt on 15 and I just tapped it in one-handed. I chastised (my caddie) Ronan for not chastising me. It’s not very professional. I was frustrated at the time. It was a lack of discipline.”