McDowell eyes Ryder Cup date

Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell claimed the second European Tour victory of his short professional career with a play-off triumph over Thomas Levet in the Italian Open and immediately targeted another win to bolster his Ryder Cup hopes.

The Ballymoney-born golfer won at the fourth-extra hole with a par four after his French opponent’s approach to the 18th at Castello di Tolcinasco found the greenside lake and he failed to chip in after a penalty drop.

His debut victory came at the Scandinavian Masters back in 2002 in only his fourth Tour start but he failed to claim another top-10 finish until the Madeira Open just over a month ago.

But today’s rain-delayed victory, and the €198,000 prize money which came with it, lifted McDowell to 10th in the European Order of Merit and raised faint hopes of securing a place in Bernhard Langer’s team to take on the USA at Oakland Hills in September.

However, McDowell realises there is a long way to go before he can start contemplating doing battle against America’s finest.

“I’ve got to win again. I am not going to comment on that (the Ryder Cup),” he said.

“Whatever happens, happens. I am just happy to be in the winners circle again. I have to keep working hard from here.

“Now I know how to react to win. I made mistakes after Sweden and will not do that again.”

McDowell had been tied for the lead overnight on 18 under with another Frenchman, Gregory Havret, in an event reduced to 54 holes and pushed into a fifth day by weekend storms.

Havret failed to improve his score over his two remaining holes but a birdie four at the 15th put McDowell into the lead only to be pegged back when Levet, one hole ahead, birdied the par-four 17th.

However, the Portrush resident could have won it on the 17th green but, with Levet carding a seven-under-par 65 to claim the clubhouse lead on 19 under, his 10-foot birdie putt stopped a couple of inches short.

A par at the last took both back to the 18th tee but the first play-off hole ended all-square with par fours despite Levet over-shooting the green with his second,

A replay of 18 brought further pars for the pair so it was off to the par-four 17th where Levet, who lost a sudden-death play-off to Ernie Els at the 2002 Open at Muirfield, almost ended the tournament in spectacular fashion.

His second shot, a 125-yard wedge, pitched inches away from the flag and had a look at the hole before spinning back to leave a two-foot putt.

McDowell responded with a sand wedge to four feet and birdies for both took them back to the 18th for a third – and final – time.

Levet was first to play his second after being outdriven once again by his opponent but the Frenchman turned over a six iron and it found the water to the front left of the green.

McDowell knocked a safe seven iron to 14 feet and when Levet, having taken a penalty drop, failed to hole his chip the Irishman two-putted for the title.

Afterwards the former Walker Cup star admitted he felt like this was his first professional victory.

“This has been so hard to put away, it didn’t matter how many birdies I made, how many under par I got, they were still with me,” he added.

“When I won in Sweden I felt I was still an amateur. I feel this is my first professional victory and I am very happy man.

“When I won in Sweden as I was two months into my professional career. Looking back and knowing what I know now and feeling how much better my game is now I feel I was still an amateur then.

“I have had two years of working, grinding out here and it is a different world. I feel I worked for this one. This feels five times better than Sweden.”

A philosophical Levet, who had not been happy with his form going into the tournament, said of his play-off error: “I had a little six iron on the last and hit it fat into the lake.

“But I wasn’t playing well coming into this week so if someone had said I would be in a play-off I would have taken it. It just seems when I play well someone else does as well.”

Another Frenchman Gregory Havret took third place, his final round of 65 taking him to 18 under, while Argentina’s Angel Cabrera finished a further stroke back on 17 under par after a closing 69.

Scotland’s Alastair Forsyth finished as the top Briton in fifth after a closing 67 took him to 15 under, while pre-tournament favourite Ian Poulter left himself too much to do in his final round and a 68 was good only enough for a tie for sixth.