 |
| Getty Images |
Graeme McDowell was cautiously optimistic after showing signs of a welcome return to form with a four-under 66 in the opening round of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.
McDowell set the pace at Firestone after firing four birdies in a front nine of 31, moving temporarily in to the outright lead with a six-foot gain at the tenth.
After dropping his first shot of the day on the 12th, the 36-year-old did well to scramble par on the next six holes to remain on four under and stay within one of early pacesetters Danny Lee and Jim Furyk.
“I drove the ball really well over the front nine,” McDowell said. “A few of the things that I haven’t been doing well lately have been driving and putting the ball and those are usually two of my go-to strengths.
“I hit it in trouble a couple of times on the back nine, but the fairways are a little narrow in places and if you miss them with the greens being as firm as they are you’re going to find yourself in a little bit of trouble.”
The Northern Irishman has managed just one top-10 finish on either side of the Atlantic this year, a share of ninth place in the early-season Omega Dubai Desert Classic.
Although a poor 2015 has seen him drop outside of the world's top 50, McDowell remains confident an improvement in results could be on its way.
“The confidence should come back pretty quickly,” he added. “One 66 isn’t going to do it, I’m going to need a few.
“The putter was a lot more solid today. I know to what to do when getting on the board, it’s just a case of trusting my swing and continue doing what I’m doing.“
No comments:
Post a Comment