Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell sent a strong message to Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie on Sunday after powering to a superb three shot win at the Celtic Manor Wales Open.
The 30-year-old is hoping to be one of Montgomerie’s choices for October’s showdown and furthered his cause with a superb last round of 63 on the course which will host the tournament.
“I’m ecstatic,” he said. “I think it’s the best final round I’ve ever played to win a tournament,” said McDowell, who was a member of the losing 2008 Ryder Cup side though he performed well accruing 2.5 points.
“I feel like I’m in the form of my life right now and I really feel I have a big event in me,” he said.
The win does not lift McDowell high enough in the rankings to secure an automatic spot as things stand, but a few more performances of this quality over the summer could see him force his way in.
If not, the Ulsterman is banking on Montgomerie to pick him as one of his three wildcard selections.
“To win around here is certainly going to stand me in good stead if I need a pick,” he said.
The Ryder Cup hopeful finished on 269, 15 under for the tournament, after clawing back a four-shot deficit on overnight leader, Germany’s Marcel Siem, in a dramatic final day in South Wales.
Second-placed Rhys Davies carded a course best 62, the second time the record had been broken in two days, to finish on 12 under overall, but it was not enough to claim the £300,000 first prize.
The Welshman took only 30 shots to negotiate the front nine, and was looking well set to become the first man on the European tour to break the 60 mark, but a bogey at the 16th following a bunker shot dashed these hopes.
“I tried to push a little too hard yesterday so I went out with a really relaxed attitude,” said Davies, who harbors hopes of an invite to the US Open at Pebble Beach later this month.
“Major championships and big world events are always tournaments I’ve set my mind to and wanted to go and play,” Davies said.
“For the remainder of the season now I can pretty much plan and prepare to play the biggest tournaments, and that’s really exciting for me,” he said.
Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher, who ended up in joint fourth place on nine under, set the low-scoring tone on Saturday with a course record eight under par 63, which was matched on Sunday by fellow Scot Marc Warren.
McDowell equalled this score, and looked set to break the record once again after reaching the turn in 30, but played sensibly over the back nine to secure his fifth European title.
Fellow Ryder Cup hopeful Luke Donald furthered his cause with a final round 65 which helped him claim third spot.
Ryder Cup veterans Miguel Angel Jimenez and Thomas Bjorn had looked well set overnight but both scored poorly to end up in eighth and ninth respectively.
Siem was on course to claim an unlikely win after securing a three-shot lead overnight but blew his chances after finding the water twice on the par-three third, scoring a quadruple bogey.
The German has never played a major and his only previous European Tour victory came six years ago.
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