Confidence back as GMac eyes Augusta
McDowell, of course, isn’t playing down his own prospects of adding the year’s first major title to the US Open he currently holds.
Indeed, he believes his failure to survive the halfway cut in last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill may have come as a blessing in disguise, bringing home a very clear message that his short game wasn’t sharp enough.
“Bay Hill certainly left me with no illusions other than that my game was not where I wanted it to be,” he admitted.
“I needed to work especially hard on my short game and so I travelled up to Augusta on Tuesday with Ian Poulter and our two dads and Henrik Stenson. There’s been a lot of rain in the area and the course was slower and softer than I remembered. It wasn’t up to anything like tournament pace but it was a bit of a reconnaissance mission and helped to give me a feel for the place again.”
Although currently ranked fourth in the world, McDowell isn’t among the more fancied names for the Masters (on offer at 33/1), due largely to the fact he missed the cut on two of his three previous Augusta appearances and tied for 17th in 2009.
“In my first year there in 2005, I played with Ben Crenshaw in the first round and felt lost on the greens“, he accepted.
“I was in awe of the place and realised I had a lot to learn. I didn’t have the confidence around the greens but I have been working hard on my short game this year and liked what I saw on Tuesday. My short game has got to the stage where I am confident going into these greens whereas in the past I was scared of missing them in the wrong places and whether I could make even bogey from there.
As a reigning major champion, McDowell is satisfied he will tee it up next week with the necessary sense of self belief.
“The confidence is there for sure. I am going in very relaxed with zero expectations.”
As for the others he stated: “I think Rory is ready for a big week. His game is absolutely tailor made for Augusta. He drives the ball unbelievably well which is key.
“I played with Bubba Watson last week and he impressed the hell out of me. He is moving the ball from right to left, he drives it so good. I think Augusta suits left handers really well. Mickelson looks like his game is simmering nicely and he prepares so well for the Majors."
