McDowell Goes Well Off Course

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Graeme McDowell's has enjoyed  much corporate sucess since joing  Horizon Sports Management six years ago and enjoys long-standing relationships with Mastercard, BMW, RBC, Verizon, Ecco, Audermars Piguet, Teneo and Srixon.

"Once they get to know Graeme, every sponsor wants to stick with him," says his agent Conor Ridge, adding: "Put him in front of a corporate audience and he's absolute dynamite, while it's humbling to see how well he relates to people on a one-to-one basis.

"He might meet someone for the first time in months, but will remember where their kids are going to college or ask if they've managed to cure that hook or slice they were struggling with," adds Ridge. "Graeme's very intelligent, smart and quite a good businessman himself."

Among his own business projects, McDowell opened the Nona Blue Bistro this year and says: "We've had a lot of fun. At the minute, it's just a hobby.

"I'd have aspirations to get more involved in the future," he adds.

While McDowell got caught in the crossfire when McIlroy quit Horizon and launched into a legal battle with the Dublin firm, he recently insisted his friendship with the Holywood native remained intact.

"I'm very close to both parties, but it hasn't affected any personal relationships," he explains.

"The fact I'm stuck in the middle of a legal matter is a tough scenario – it's tough for everyone. But as far as I am concerned, Rory and I will always remain competitors, colleagues, peers and friends. I care a lot about what he does; I care a lot about how good he is and that'll never change."

The G-Mac Foundation, run for McDowell by Horizon co-founder Colin Morrissey, has been working closely with Eamon Coghlan, head of the American arm of the 'Children's Medical Research Fund' for Crumlin Children's Hospital, since the two sports stars first met at The Players Championship in Sawgrass in 2011.

McDowell has played a hands-on role in helping Coghlan organise the annual 'Best of Ireland' Gala Dinner at New York Athletic Club, which in two years has raised $1m for the Intensive Care and Recovery Units at the Dublin hospital.

Next year's banquet takes place on January 30 with Paul McGinley, David Feherty, Robbie Keane and Minister for Finance Michael Noonan among the guests of honour. McDowell was especially attracted to Crumlin because it is the children's coronary care unit for the entire island of Ireland.

The G-Mac Foundation also brings, with support from Aer Lingus, eight sick children and their families to Orlando each year for a lifetime trip to the Disney World Resort.

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Tiger Chase Over for Two Mac;s

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Rory McIlroy had the low round Saturday of 68 at the Northwestern Mutual World Challenge,  and that included a double bogey on the par-3 15th, which was playing 193 yards from an elevated tee. But ahead of the final round McIlroy is only tied for 11th at 218.

Graeme McDowell dropped back to ninth after he signed for a round of 75 with four bogeys and then a triple on the par three 8th hole..

Tiger Woods survived a rough round of swirling swing at Sherwood on Saturday with two birdies on his last three holes. That enabled him to salvage an even-par 72 and maintain his two-shot lead over Zach Johnson going into the final round.

Woods' round featured a tee shot into the water, a three-putt from 6 feet and a long delay on the 18th fairway as he tried to figure out which way the wind was blowing. He took a little off an 8-iron when he felt the wind switch yet again and holed a 12-foot birdie putt.

"I'm pleased at having the lead -- not real pleased with the way I putted today," Woods said. "I left a few out there today."

But he wasn't alone as the average score was just under 73.

Everyone ran into problems somewhere along the way, particularly on the 15th, a par 3 that played to an average score of 4.17. Johnson made two double bogeys on par 3s on the back nine, and didn't feel as though he hit a poor shot on either hole. It was simply a matter of getting the wind to cooperate.

"I didn't take myself out of it," said Johnson, who also birdied two of the last three holes for a 72.

Woods was at 11-under 205, two shots ahead of Johnson, just like he started the day.

There are 18 holes to go, and Woods has a 48-5 lead worldwide when he has the outright lead going into Sunday. He has won all four times with the lead this year, and the last time he gave up a lead on Sunday was at Sherwood in 2010, when Graeme McDowell came from four shots behind and won in a playoff.

It can be done, and two shots can be erased in one hole in conditions like this.

Woods is trying to end his year with a sixth title, which would be the ninth time he's done that in his career. What began as an elite field of 18 players -- all of them from the top 30 in the world ranking -- has effectively been whittled to three barring a late charge from deep in the pack.

Bubba Watson was within one shot of the lead briefly until a three-putt bogey on the 18th, and two late birdies by Woods. Watson had a 69 and was four shots behind. No one else was within six shots of Woods.

"This golf course is very difficult," Watson said. "Right now, there's a pretty good player leading. He's won here before. He knows this golf course pretty well. But I'm just going to come out there and play. I've shot under par my last few rounds. I want to keep doing that. If I can shoot in the 60s, give myself a chance, we'll see what happens."

Rory McIlroy had the low round Saturday of 68, and that included a double bogey on the par-3 15th, which was playing 193 yards from an elevated tee. Keegan Bradley and Steve Stricker each took a 7 on the par 3.

Johnson was one shot out of the lead when his 5-iron went into the creek, and it wasn't particularly close. He made double bogey. Woods hit 6-iron well to the left, and while he three-putted from long range for bogey, that was about par for the day.

"I thought Zach hit it perfect," Woods said. "He hit a little cut 5 and it was right on the flag. I mean, I thought it was the perfect flight to get there. I had a 6, and I knew that if my ball kicked up at all, it wasn't going to get there after seeing his ball get smoked at the end. So I went ahead and flipped it over to the left and bailed out."

Johnson briefly took the lead with a birdie on No. 9, though Woods caught him with a birdie on the 10th. Johnson lost momentum with one bad shot, a fairway metal for his second shot on the par-5 11th that went right into a bed of leaves under a small cluster of trees. He tried to punch under the trees and onto the green, but his shot hit one branch and led to bogey.

Johnson made a double bogey on the par-3 12th and just like that was three shots behind. He got back to within one shot on the next hole when Woods three-putted from 6 feet for bogey and Johnson made bogey.

Ultimately, they ended up where they started the day, putting Woods one round away from his sixth win at Sherwood. The tournament is moving to Florida next year.

   

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