Graeme McDowell on cloud nine while Tiger Woods tastes the dust (part 1)
27th November 2009, A day that will live in infamy for the former world number one, Tiger Woods. With only two days to go, this anniversary marks the horrendous downfall of a golf legend no one would ever forget. If 2010 was a see-saw and Woods was on the
falling end, it would definitely be Graeme McDowell sitting on the other side. GMac himself said this car accident redefined his world and provided him with various golden opportunities. Where Woods is still winless, McDowell has earned big titles this year
and landed himself second on the European money list.
Had Woods infidelity been kept in public, it’s not possible that the Irish player would have achieved so much by now. Due to his win at the US Open Championship and his amazing performance at the Ryder Cup this year, McDowell has been awarded BBC’s Sport
Personality of the Year. Had it not been for Tiger Wood’s personal problems, Graeme might not have been at second place on the European Money list.
Graeme finished fifth at the Hong Kong Open last weekend and is now only £250,000 short of the list leader Martin Kaymer. Seeing how it is, Graeme is very close to chasing the £1.7m prize the European Tour finale will offer. The Dubai World Championship
offers the biggest payday in the history of European Events and will tee off today at the Jumeirah Golf Estates in United Arab Emirates.
It was not only one but a series of events that made this season an unforgettable one for Graeme. In an interview yesterday, the Ulsterman was made to recall all the moments his great season. Where the perfect career of Woods was crumbling into pieces, McDowell
being opportunistic was at the right place at the right time.
The player said it’s very weird how one little thing can define and make something so crucial and big in your life. He said that being a strong believer in fate, he considers those ‘right moments’ very fateful ones.
Last year, Graeme didn’t do so well and finished outside the top 50 in the world ranking. Due to his poor performance, the player didn’t qualify for many big events . Reminiscing about last year’s World Cup in China, Graeme said that after losing by one
point he really didn’t want to return to Orlando, which is his home town. McDowell paired with Europe’s rising star Rory McIlroy lost by one point from the Molinari Brothers. Really gloomy after his defeat in China, he hoped to be called for Tiger Wood’s event.
Wood’s event was the same time as his many mistresses came out with the scandal confirming that Woods himself won’t be playing. Hosted by Woods, The Chevron World Challenge is an eighteen man field tournament and has the dominant players from the rankings
playing in it. Being at number 56 in the rankings, McDowell was a suitable replacement.
Even though it was hard and Graeme’s manager, Conor Ridge had to talk to some people, he made it to the tournament and finished second. Where the Challenge signalled the downfall of Woods, it pushed Graeme on his journey to the top. This finish hoisted him
to 38th position in the rankings.
"It gave me peace of mind at the start of the year to play the best game I could and work hard on my game," he said. "There's no doubt that the pieces fell into place. That's what got me ready for the Wales Open and the US Open and what went on to happen
at the Ryder Cup. Without the Chevron, perhaps I'm not even at Pebble Beach."
From 56th to 9th in the world, that’s quite an adventure taken by McDowell and will be emphasized on in the next part.
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