Graeme McDowell is having the kind of year they warn golfers about after winning a Major title. Or as in the case of GMAC a fourteen month period when everything went right, once he showed up at the right course, on the right day, in the right continent. But that streak ended in Sherwood Country Club in December 2010 when he beat Tiger Woods at The Chevron World Challenge and it has been harder work ever since.
At TPC Sawgrass McDowell confirmed some of those warning signs that suggest the revolving door that is golf might be close to allowing the Portrush golfer back on to the winning stage once again - despite missing the cut at The Players Championship with rounds of 74 and 71. However a level of consistency is returning that indicate he is not as off course as might be judging things solely by the number of missed cuts this season. As the 2010 US Open Champion arrives in Spain this week for the Volvo World Match Play he will be hoping that the Finca Cortesin course renders up better rewards for his efforts on his return to Europe - than the PGA Your has in recent months.
He will be joined in that hope by Open Champion Darren Clarke who has endured a somewhat pass remarkable few months since securing the Claret Jug, with a caddie change already made since Royal St George. In Augusta an injury prevented him competing worry-free and naturally missed the cut at The Masters given the distraction. But a few weeks later he repeated the same shortfall at the Ballantine' Championship in Korea with a first round 77 - after struggling with the elements the opening day – and now sits 75th in the 2012 Race to Dubai.
A good few days at Finca Cortesin could do wonders for Dungannon man ahead of the PGA BMW Championship at Wentworth and the Irish Open on his home course at Royal Portrush.
For Padraig Harrington this week the work is on the PGA Tour where he competes at the HP Byron Nelson at the Four Seasons Resort in Irving, Texas – as he is not eligible for the Volvo Match Play. Last weekend at The Player's Harrington showed some sparkle with a first round 69, only to slump out of the event by a few shots when he came in on Friday with a 74. Similarly at the ATT Pebble Beach Pro Am he bolted another low score only to fade on day two and three. But then out of the blue he bested those efforts with the lowest official score of his life - a 10-under 61 - to set the course record in the Transitions Championship in March.
So clearly over the past weeks Harrington has looked closer to ending his year and half win less run, and just needs to sustain his focus over the four days. At Innisbrook it was not to be either, nor was it at Sawgrass, so he will be calling on his well practiced patience again this weekend in Texas.
Rory Mcilroy takes the week off after missing the cut at The Player's Championship on Friday and clings to his world number 1 spot by virtue of Luke Donald's 6th place finish at Sawgrass. The Englishman needed fourth place or better to reclaim the honours this week.
All in all there is a 24-man elite 2012 field offers a number of intriguing story lines as 15 of the World’s top 60 gather for the only match play event to be held in Europe this season. In addition three Spaniards have qualified for the Championship for the first time; Sergio García, Álvaro Quirós and Rafael Cabrera-Bello, each offering compelling reasons why they should be the first Spanish winner since the legendary Seve Ballesteros triumphed in 1991.
Also six Major Champions will be seeking their first Match Play title in the form of Martin Kaymer, Charl Schwartzel, Graeme McDowell, Paul Lawrie, Retief Goosen and Calrke.
Twelve nations are represented at the 2012 Volvo World Match Play Championship with England leading the charge with six players qualifying for this elite tournament including defending Champion, Ian Poulter and World Number nine, Justin Rose. Eleven players will be making their Volvo World Match Play Championship debut including American star Brandt Snedeker, ranked 23rd in the world, Australia’s John Senden and Sweden’s Peter Hanson who finished third at the recent Masters Tournament.
Retief Goosen is the most experienced campaigner in the field with ten appearances to his name while Thomas Björn, a three-time winner on The European Tour last year, will be making his sixth appearance. Colombia’s Camilo Villegas and 2011 Volvo China Open Champion Nicolas Colsaerts will be amongst six players making only their second appearance.
The Championship’s exciting format will see the players, divided into eight groups of three, play in a round-robin group format on Thursday and Friday.
This will decide which 16 players progress to Saturday’s knock-out stage with the semi-finals and final played on Sunday.
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