Graeme McDowell confident Irealnd can capture the World Cup of golf

 

Royal Melbourne's subtle dangers were starkly evident when jet-lagged Irishman Graeme McDowell played nine holes and walked the other nine shortly after arriving from Dubai on Tuesday.

 

Even though the world No. 12 was reacquainting himself with the Composite course for the first time in nine years, he instantly recalled the cautious approach required by himself and rookie teammate Shane Lowry for the World Cup opening round tomorrow.

"You've really got to respect it. You really have to pay attention to what you're doing out there because the wrong shot on the wrong line and the wrong shape at any given moment can get you in all sorts of trouble,'' McDowell said.

"I feel like it will bring the cream to the top, for sure. The top players will shine and the less experienced players will have a problem with this golf course.

"Shane and I are as good and experienced as anybody this week and, hopefully, we can be playing together late on Sunday afternoon.

 

"It's just a great track that requires a lot of strategy, a lot of positioning of iron play coming into these fast and firm undulating greens.

"You don't hit many drivers, maybe four or five max out there. Like a links golf course, the wind can change this course within the space of an hour, change the character of holes when the wind switches direction.''

Ranked behind only Adam Scott and American Matt Kuchar in the 60-player World Cup field, McDowell finished fourth on the European tour in another successful year with his three wins including the World Matchplay title and one on the US PGA tour.

McDowell played in the final group with Scott when the Australian blew the lead on the finishing four holes of the 2012 British Open. And he's not surprised with Scott's rise to join Swede Henrik Stenson as closest challengers to Tiger Woods for the world's top ranking.

 

"Scotty's just one of those guys who you play with and think to yourself 'why is this guy not winning every week?' He's that impressive,'' he said.

"I had the pleasure, or displeasure, of playing with him in the last round of the Open championship last year, but I knew it was only a matter of time before he developed into the player that he is. He has always been an awesome player.''

While the money focus of this World Cup has shifted to individual honours, McDowell's priority is green glory.

"We're big on the team element. The World Cup will always be about the winning team and we're passionate about standing there as the winning team on Sunday night,'' he said.

 

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Anirban Lahiri finishes tied 25th in World Cup of Golf

India's debutants at the World Cup of Golf left Royal Melbourne with mixed results and experiences on Sunday but vowed to make a quick return to the prestigious event.

Anirban Lahiri emerged as the best performer with a final round of one-over-par 72 in blustery conditions to earn a commendable tied 25th finish alongside the likes of Major champion Vijay Singh of Fiji and Europe's Ryder Cup star Nicholas Colsaerts on three-over-par 277.

Countryman Gaganjeet Bhullar battled to his week's best with a 71 but finished last in the 60-man field, a week after he enjoyed a top-10 at the Australian Masters which was also here.

"It's been a very good, positive week. My first time out here, a big learning curve on new conditions and very different to what we play on. To represent India for the first time as a professional was fantastic. I hope to play in more World Cups as there are a lot of good Indians out there," 27-year-old Lahiri, a three-time Asian Tour winner, said.

"We have to continue to playing at high level to keep myself in the top few to get selected for events like these. I hope there will be many more to come. This is what we work towards to -- to get to the World Cup and the Majors."

Bhullar was disappointed he did not feature prominently in the World Cup especially after he had high hopes following his strong outing at the Australian Masters, the previous week.

"Last week and this week, the ball striking has been absolutely the same. It was all down to the putting. The ball is not going into the hole, just taking extra shots to get in the hole. This week was totally different," said Bhullar, a four-time winner in Asia.

"Last week I played real solid and thought I would repeat it this week. It was a lot to do with the overconfidence from last week's top-10. A lot of key factors which I thought would not disturb me, got me. It's a good lesson. I will have to be more patient and not be result oriented and keep to the process and routine."

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World Cup of Golf: Stuart Manley hits hole-in-one - then takes 11

 

Stuart Manley says a two-hole spell on the third day at the World Cup of Golf in Melbourne is the highest and lowest he has felt as a professional.

The Welshman hit a hole-in-one at the third and thought he had won a Mercedes - only to discover the prize was only on offer during the final day.

He then took 11 at the next hole, the highest score of his career.

"I didn't know whether to laugh, but you've just got to pick yourself up and get on with it”

Stuart Manley Welsh golfer

"It's the highest high and then the lowest low I've ever experienced on a golf course," said Manley.

"I thought the car was mine, and with the crowd, all the hype, I was just buzzing. The adrenaline was pumping so much, I could have flown to the green.

"Then I found out about the car and go and have an 11. I kept asking my caddie: 'How many shots is that now?' I actually thought it was a 10 but I was not going to argue because my head was pretty fried.

"I didn't know whether to laugh or cry at that point, but you've just got to pick yourself up and get on with it."

The 34-year-old did bounce back with two birdies and an eagle to move him back to a level par 72 for the day - although he dropped to a tie for eighth place on two under at Royal Melbourne Golf Club.

"Even though it probably sounds a bit strange, I'm actually quite proud of the way I held it together after my 11," said Manley.

"I am pretty strong mentally. My caddie said a lot of people would have folded after that, but I made some good chances after that and I just kept plugging away.

"If somebody had told me I would have finished on two under at the end of the day after taking an 11, I would have taken it.

"I won't forget this day for a while, talk about mixed emotions. But hopefully it'll have a happy ending."

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Dunlop Phoenix: Luke Donald defends title in Japan

 

Luke Donald secured his first win of the year by defending his title at the Dunlop Phoenix tournament in Japan.

 

The 35-year-old Englishman started the final round with a two-shot lead over South Korea's Kim Hyung-Sung after following his two-over-par 73 in the first round with scores of 66 and 65.

 

And there were few scares at the Phoenix Country Club course on Sunday as a five-under 66, which featured seven birdies and two bogeys, took him to 14-under 270, six shots clear of Kim who could only manage a one-under 70.

 

Japan's Shingo Katayama finished third on seven under, while Spain's Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano and Shunsuke Sonoda of Japan shared fourth place three shots further back.

 

Japan Tour money leader Hideki Matsuyama, 21, was bunched one stroke further back with Australian Brad Kennedy and South Korea's Lee Kyoung-Hoon.

 

"I'm very excited. My last win as a professional was last year at the Dunlop," Donald said.

"It's great to come here and win again. This is a great tournament with some great winners and I'm very proud to have won it back-to-back now."

 

Donald is the first player to win the Dunlop, one of Japan's richest tournaments, for two straight years since Tiger Woods triumphed in 2004 and 2005.

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World Cup of Golf: Australia's Jason Day Earns Individual and Team Glory in Melboure

 

Jason Day delivered both individual and team victory for Australia in the World Cup of Golf at Royal Melbourne.

 

Day closed out his first win on home soil with a one-under 70 in the final round for a 10-under-par total - and two-shot margin over Denmark's Thomas Bjorn.

 

It was an emotional success for the 26-year-old, who came into the event dealing with the death in the Philippines of his grandmother, six young cousins and an uncle at the hands of Typhoon Haiyan.

 

His Filipino-born mother, Dening, was in Melbourne to watch her son outlast Bjorn, who bogeyed the last as Day sunk a par to earn the $1.2 million winners' cheque.

 

"It's just been an amazing tournament for me," Day said. "My mother, my family, coming down to support me. I'm just so happy the hard work has paid off, and I'm glad it happened in Melbourne.

"The biggest thing right now is to know that I just didn't give up. It would have been the easiest thing for me to just go ahead and pull out of the tournament with what has been going on over the last week - just to be up there with my mum and support her.

 

"But I really wanted to come down here and play with Adam (Scott) and really try to win the World Cup and we achieved that which was great."

Rollercoaster

Overnight leader by a stroke from Bjorn, Day traded two bogeys and two birdies in his first five holes before charging clear of his playing partner when he holed an approach on the first bounce for an eagle on the short par-four sixth.

 

That put him four strokes ahead the Queenslander stumbled on the par-four 10th with a double-bogey after hitting into scrub left of the fairway.

 

Bjorn pounced to claw back a share of the lead with birdies at the 11th and 13th, the latter courtesy of a delightful approach shot that settled a foot from the pin.

 

The 42-year-old Dane was left to rue a wayward tee-shot on the tricky par-four 16th, however, that landed in the woods right of the fairway and led to a bogey.

 

Day also wobbled, pushing his approach into a wide greenside bunker but pulled off a brilliant up-and-down, landing his recovery about seven feet from the pin and draining the tough downhill putt to take a one-stroke lead with two holes to play.

 

And Bjorn's challenge ended decisively with a wayward approach on the par-four 18th that led to a bogey, allowing Day the luxury of a pressure-free par-putt to clinch the win.

Team domination

Adam Scott stormed home with a best-of-the-day 66 to finish third on seven under and ensure Australia beat second-placed United States by 10 shots to win the team title for the first time in 24 years.

American Matt Kuchar (71) finished fourth in the individual event on six under.

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