McDowell not yet thrown in towel

Ireland’s Graeme McDowell has not yet given up the defence of his Ballantine’s Championship title despite suffering a poor start to this year’s event today.

McDowell won the inaugural championship played at the Pinx Golf Club on Korea’s Jeju Island last year on the final putt, recording a score of 24 under par to do so.

This year however he sits at four over after a difficult first round, 11 shots behind the early leaders Mark Brown and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano.

But despite the setback, the 29-year-old from Portrush insists he will continue to fight to successfully defend a title for the first time since 2005.

“Obviously I’m going to need three really good rounds to try to compete on the weekend,” he said after his first round this morning.

“I’ll be going out all guns blazing tomorrow, no doubt. I know I can go low on this golf course, but that wasn’t quite what I had in mind this morning.”

Despite admitted to feeling “shocked and stunned” by the unexpected start on a course he yesterday admitted “fits my eye”, McDowell refused to resort to excuses.

“I’ve got no complaints. The course was there for the taking. It was in good condition. The greens were a little elusive, and I didn’t really putt too well at all,” he explained.

“I’m shocked and stunned. I just didn’t play very well. I drove it all over the place. It was just a bad morning in the office. I didn’t feel quite at the races this morning.

“The weather was perfect. After all of the weather forecasts and such, it was great. It was lovely out there.

“The course was in great conditions. It was there. It was there in front of you, sort of three or four under par, should have been there for the taking. But as I say, just wasn’t quite on top of my game.”