Former US Open champion Graeme McDowell believes he has extra incentive to perform well at next week’s International Series Macau presented by Wynn, with three spots up for grabs at The Open Championship on his home course at Royal Portrush.
The LIV Golf-backed tournament, the second of 10 elevated events on the Asian Tour calendar, takes place from 20-23 March, and in-form Smash GC player McDowell is relishing the prospect of teeing it up – especially after finishing T12 at LIV Golf Hong Kong last week.
he International Series tournaments are known for the pathway offered onto the LIV Golf League and the innovative Promotions event at the end of each season. But this year there is even more opportunity with three available spots for the fourth major of the season in Northern Ireland from 17-20 July.
Speaking on the sidelines of LIV Golf Singapore, the 2010 US Open winner said: “Obviously it is a great opportunity next week in Macau to have three Open Championship spots. Especially for me with it being Royal Portrush, my hometown, there is a little bit of extra motivation there.
“Obviously the focus is on this weekend. It is a very, very important weekend and then we will turn our attention to Macau next week. But for me, I feel like I am starting to feel more comfortable with what I am trying to do out here. I feel like the first couple of seasons I really did not have a purpose. I did not really know what my purpose was.
“I am really starting to kind of see the light again as pathways to these majors start to emerge. Small, but there is light at the end of the tunnel for sure.
“To me, I feel my purpose – the bigger picture, I guess. I feel like the first couple seasons you were so focused every week on just the ‘now’, when I felt like most of my career there was always something else out there that you were working towards, which helped nearly numb the present and get you cranking and pushing forward.
“I love being in a team like this (Smash GC) where I feel like there’s a bigger purpose, something bigger to play for, and obviously looking to try and get back into a couple of the majors would be amazing.”
Smash GC team-mate Jason Kokrak will also be going for glory next week in Macau. The American will be hoping for a change of fortunes after finishing T42 at Fanling last week, hot on the heels of a T47 in Adelaide.
He has form at Macau Golf and Country Club however, after finishing T5 last year, just four off eventual champion John Catlin who saw off Spaniard David Puig in a thrilling play-off.
Kokrak, who opened the season with a T21 under the floodlights at LIV Golf Riyadh, said: “We’re all working hard.
We’re striving to play the best golf we can for ourselves and for our team. This week looking into next week, obviously the key is Sentosa, the LIV Golf Singapore event this week. But we are just trying day-by-day to get better and better.
“I think with the work we have put in, I am starting to feel better and better with the ball striking. The putter is heating up, so I am looking forward to this week. I had a solid showing last year in Macau, so I am looking forward to competing against some of these guys for those Open spots next week.”
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