Bogeys ruin birdie blitz as Graeme McDowell’s bid falls short

No wonder Graeme McDowell was left frustrated after his Open Championship third round at St Andrews yesterday.

While all around cashed in on the benign conditions and soft Old Course, the former US Open champion could not quite do the same, shooting a two-under-par 70 that featured eight birdies but was undermined by two bogeys and two double bogeys.

The Portrush star will embark on his final round today at two under for the tournament after 54 holes, when he could have been so much better placed.

“It was interesting. I played lovely. I really did. I played well,” McDowell said, before delivering the “but”...

“I drove the ball disgusting. I’m not really quite sure what’s wrong with my driving. I hit it in the trap on six and compounded the error and made double there, and I hit it in the trap on the par-five 14th, and compounded the error there (for his other double). I left it in the bunker, just trying to be a little too greedy, and that was kind of the story of the round.

“I putted terribly Thursday, Friday, and actually made some putts today and got off to a nice start. Eight birdies, it was obviously fairly benign and there for the taking this morning, but that’s got to go down as an extremely frustratingly disappointing round. Shit happens, though. You know, we’re continuing to grind and grow, and we’re getting there.”

Getting there has been McDowell’s goal since he decided to get back down to business with his game after pouring all his attention into his family life following the birth of his first child last August.

He has been through the worst of it and is coming out the other side, just not quite far enough to make an impact on this championship.

“I’m past the doubting phase of the process,” he said. “The doubts were sort of three, four, five months ago. I’m back starting to enjoy the game phase and am hitting some good shots.

“It’s there. I feel like I’m starting to get to the good point of the process, which is when I start to see some scores coming together.

“Apart from half a dozen loose drives over the last three days, you know, tee to green, my ball-striking has been really, really good.

“There were some massive jumps in the right direction (Sunday). It is just disappointing to not get the job done. But all the signs are there. There’s a pulse, there’s life.”

The doubts were sort of three, four, five months ago. I’m back starting to enjoy the game phase and am hitting some good shots