Graeme McDowell to skip Par 3 Contest for Manchester United-Chelsea fixture – Golf news
World number five Graeme McDowell will not take part in the Par 3 Contest and will instead watch the UEFA Champions League encounter between Manchester United and Chelsea.
McDowell made this announcement on Tuesday. He said, “Unfortunately the par-3 does not fit my schedule this time around. I am disappointed, but hopefully there will be more Masters tournaments. United don't get to play Chelsea too often in the Champions
League, so it will be a lot of fun.”
The 31-year-old is a huge fan of Manchester United and has been supporting the club for a long time. Since United will take on Chelsea in the knockout fixture of the Champions League on Wednesday, McDowell decided to put golf to a hold and support his team.
The US Open winner emphasised that he was ready for the Masters and him not playing in the Par 3 Contest had nothing to do with his bid on the trophy. According to tradition, the winner of the Contest has never won the Masters title on a coming Sunday, something
that McDowell would be happy about.
The veteran also answered a few questions regarding Tiger Woods’ charisma on the course. The Northern Irish said that he had got used to the media glitz showered on Woods during the tournament and now it did not bother him. He added that he had outdone the
former world number one at several occasions including the Chevron World Challenge in December 2010 and he was ready for another battle with him at Augusta National.
Woods is the second golfer after Jack Nicklaus to win the most number of titles on the Tour. He has worn the Green Jacket at four occasions, with his last victory coming in 2005. However, Woods has been winless for the past 16 months and McDowell would be
eager to bank on Woods’ winless streak.
The Par 3 Contest has been taking place since 1960. The nine-hole event takes place before the Masters and is played over a separate course located in Augusta National Golf Club.
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