McDowell in the hunt after mixed day
McDowell doubled his third hole and then his 17th, on both occasions finding water, but played well enough in between to be pleased to be competing. His two under par 70 put him inside the top 30 shortly before a thunderstorm halted play.
McDowell had found a divot with his drive at his third hole on the Redstone course. But in contrast to his antics at the final hole of this year’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, McDowell thinned his second into a camera tower, and with his ball ricocheting into a water hazard.
“It was my Abu Dhabi redemption as I played that shot earlier this year and it ricocheted off the grandstand and back onto the green from where I grabbed a birdie,” he smiled.
“So, I guess I’m even now as it didn’t come back to six feet this time.”
McDowell superbly regrouped with birdies at his sixth, ninth and then three on the trot from Redstone’s fourth or his 13th. But he then leaked a poor 3-wood from the middle of the fairway at his 17th that came to rest just under the six-inch high lip of a bunker some 40-yards left of the green, and from an awkward stance McDowell then thinned his ball straight over the green and into water.
“After what happened at my third and also getting a bit too aggressive at the eighth or my 17th all in all it was a solid round of golf,” said McDowell.
“But I’ve come to Houston looking for some confidence ahead of the Masters and just picturing some shots that I will be facing next week and I’m already pleased because I’m hitting well that high soft flight you need to have in playing Augusta next week.”
Angel Cabrera and Sweden’s Karl Pettersson head the event with scores of seven under par 65s. Padraig Harrington and Darren Clarke were early into their rounds when play was halted. Harrington had played just the first while Clarke had played two for both to remain at level par.
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