McDowell looks to light up Firestone

Graeme McDowell is quietly confident a decision to journey from Orlando, Florida to Akron, Ohio via Kiawah Island, South Carolina will lead to glory later next week along the Atlantic Ocean shoreline.

McDowell organised the services of a local caddy, and in the company of his father, Kenny delighted in the opportunity to savour a practice round on next week’s rain-softened PGA Championship venue: “We got in here to Akron about 8pm last night (Tuesday) but the decision to play Kiawah Island earlier in the day was time very well spent,” he said.

“I just liked the look of the golf course so much. The front nine is very playable but the back nine has some yardage to it and we played the inward nine in about a 15 to 20mph southerly breeze.”