McDowell signs up for HK Open
Graeme McDowell, the man who won the Ryder Cup for Europe, will take centre stage at the UBS Hong Kong Open next month.
The Ryder Cup hero was yesterday confirmed as the second big signing by organisers of the US$2.5 million showpiece at the Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling from November 18-21.
US Open champion McDowell will join fellow Ryder Cup star and Northern Ireland countryman Rory McIlroy in the battle to win one of the most prestigious Opens on the Asian and European tours.
'I'm really looking forward to playing in Hong Kong,' McDowell said. 'After the emotion of the Ryder Cup it will be great to get back to business and try to win some vital points in the penultimate event on the Race to Dubai.'
With the Hong Kong Open being co-sanctioned by the European Tour, the event has been assured of drawing some of the biggest names on the world circuit, simply due to the fact it will be the last chance for players to win points on the tour's order of merit or Race to Dubai, qualify for the season-ending US$7.5 million Dubai World Championship and be in line to win a mega bonus.
'It is good for our tournament that we are part of the Race to Dubai,' said William Chung Pui-lam, the immediate past-president of the Hong Kong Golf Association. 'It guarantees big names like Graeme McDowell, who will be a big draw, especially after his Ryder Cup heroics.'
McDowell helped Europe clinch a nail-biting 14 1/2 to 13 1/2 victory over the United States in Wales on Monday, when he displayed nerves of steel to sink a 12-foot downhill putt at the 16th hole to set up his victory over Hunter Mahan in the last singles match.
That performance further confirmed his reputation as a man who lives for the big occasion following his US Open victory in June, when he held off challenges by Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els at Pebble Beach to become the first Irishman to win the season's third major.
'I have enjoyed the best season of my career. The US Open win and then what happened in the Ryder Cup have been the two greatest moments in my professional life and winning the UBS Hong Kong Open would be the icing on the cake,' McDowell said.
'Hong Kong is a cool city. It is my kind of town - there is a real buzz to the city and I know all of the players love coming back to Hong Kong as they are guaranteed a great week.'
McDowell, 31, lies second in the Race to Dubai, behind Germany's Martin Kaymer, and will be pinning his hopes on doing well in Hong Kong to overhaul his rival.
'Martin has been playing unbelievable golf and has managed to put a bit of daylight between him and me in the past couple of months but the aim is to reel him back in if I can. It's a big goal of mine this season to really give that a run and be in with a shot of winning the Race to Dubai,' he said.
McDowell, who has earnings of more than Euro2 million (HK$21.53 million) on the tour this season, but is still almost Euro500,000 short of Kaymer, first played in Hong Kong in 2007.
He also announced he would be taking up the option of a USPGA Tour card. 'I won't be playing as many events in America as, say, Luke Donald and Justin Rose, but I am taking up my card,' McDowell said. 'I had one in 2006 but got injured early in that season and now I want to give it a real try.'
