McDowell sets pace with birdie blitz
Graeme McDowell shrugged off a niggling hamstring injury to set the clubhouse target in the delayed second round of the Italian Open today.
McDowell carded six birdies in a flawless 66 for a 12-under-par halfway total of 131 at Castello di Tolcinasco after the rain finally relented in Milan.
Heavy downpours from Thursday evening onwards meant no play at all was possible on Friday and the second round did not begin until 11am local time on Saturday morning.
McDowell was in the first group out on the course and quickly made up for lost time, picking up birdies on the first two holes and adding two more to be out in 32.
Three more followed on the back nine to leave the 24-year-old from Portrush level with Argentina’s Angel Cabrera, who was also 12 under with two holes to play.
Germany’s Marcel Siem was also in the clubhouse on 11 under after matching McDowell’s 66, with first round leaders Mark Roe and Gregory Havret 11 under with two and four holes to play respectively.
“This is the first time I’ve felt this way about my game,” said McDowell, who won the Scandinavian Masters in 2002 on only his fourth start as a professional.
“I’m playing as well as I ever have in my life. My short game is where it needs to be to compete at a professional level for the first time.
“The putter is not firing on all cylinders yet so hopefully there are a few more birdies out there. I don’t feel I’ve holed my fair share of putts.”
McDowell, a member of the victorious 2001 Walker Cup team, picked up the hamstring injury while working out with personal trainer Adam Griffen, one of a team of people he is building around him.
“I normally do upper-body work on Monday and lower-body work on Tuesday and I think Adam pushed me a bit too hard,” said McDowell, who was third in the Portuguese Open last month.
“I don’t want to make too big an issue out of it, it was niggling me on Wednesday and Thursday but having the day off yesterday was a big help.
“I started working with him at the end of last year and have a psychologist to help with the mental side and Claude Harmon (son of Butch) to work on the swing.
“Claude looked at my swing with his father at the Masters and it’s good to have him on the end of the phone to instantly have positive re-inforcement.”
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