McDowell sparkles with early clubhouse lead

Graeme McDowell gave himself an early birthday present with a third-round 65 in the Deutsche Bank Players’ Championship.

McDowell, who celebrates his 27th birthday tomorrow, set the early clubhouse target at 13 under par on another day of low scoring in Hamburg.

Eight shots off the lead overnight after rounds of 68 and 70, McDowell picked up five shots in the space of four holes at Gut Kaden this morning.

The Ulsterman, who led after the first round of the Open at Hoylake last week before fading to 61st, opened with two pars but then eagled the par-five third.

The 26-year-old from Portrush then birdied the fourth, parred the fifth and eagled the par-five sixth to make it five threes in a row.

His charge was halted by four pars in a row around the turn but birdies at the 11th and 15th completed an excellent round.

How far behind McDowell would be at the end of the day remained to be seen, the overnight leaders again making the most of a course playing much shorter than its 7,290 yards.

Sweden’s Robert Karlsson, one ahead of the chasing pack overnight, had already carded a hat-trick of birdies from the second to move to 17 under par.

That was two ahead of South African Charl Schwartzel and Scotland’s Gary Orr, with Lee Westwood a shot further back on 14 under.

Ryder Cup captain Ian Woosnam, seeking his 30th tour title in his 505th event, remained 13 under after a birdie on the second was cancelled out by a bogey on the fourth.