Result
Graeme finished in a tie for 40th place at the Pete Dye Stadium Course, CA.
He got off to a great start with a 66 followed by a 69 to comfortably make the weekend, five shots back of the lead on nine-under overall. A 3rd round of 73 dropped Graeme back but he rallied on the final day with a 70 to finish with a respectable score.
Speaking after Day 1:
“I’m just continuing to build,” McDowell said after another promising day with the putter. “It’s obviously difficult coming to these courses for the first time (since 2003) and some of these nuances that we don’t know, but the wind kicked up for the last hour and a half, which made that back nine playing a little more difficult coming in.
“After that innocuous little double on the eighth hole— which is a short part three which had a really evil little pin position — to shake that off and still make six birdies was pleasing. So I’m happy enough and looking forward to getting back at it tomorrow.”
Graeme is playing in Palm Springs for the first time since 2003 before heading to Saudi Arabia in a fortnight for the Saudi International, and he’s hoping to build some confidence.
“The Middle East with Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Saudi Arabia, it’s always a good place to start the year,” said the Portrush man, who started his season with some good golf in last week’s Sony Open in Hawaii, despite eventually missing the cut by one stroke.
“It’s always a nice place to go start the year, but this is like the desert swing PGA Tour-style. And to be honest with you, I really really like it here. It won’t be 18 years before I come back.
“The golf courses allow you to make birdies if you play well and you can get some confidence rolling early in the season, which is very important for a guy like me right now where confidence is key.”
With the top 70 and ties after tomorrow’s third round qualifying for the final round on the Stadium Course, Graeme does not mind facing the tougher of the three venues on moving day.
“I was a bit disappointed that I was going to have the toughest golf course on the toughest day, but in a funny way, when there is so much scoring to be done this week, do you mind tough and tough?” he asked. “Or do you want one of the easier courses playing tough?
“Obviously, we’ve all got to play the three rounds, and it’s just the luck of the draw, but I am looking forward to being out there on the Stadium Course, flighting the ball around and hitting some three-quarter control type irons.”
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