ORLANDO, Fla. — Graeme McDowell’s first appearance in the Arnold Palmer Invitational is now a blur, yet also one of his fondest memories as a professional golfer.
A second-place tie and $440,000 check in 2005 for an obscure 26-year-old Northern Irishman was a career-changing moment McDowell never saw coming.
McDowell, now 42 and a longtime Lake Nona resident, hopes his surprising 4-under 68 Thursday is a game-changer, too.
If nothing else it continued his history of good vibes at Bay Hill. Following McDowell’s strong opening round he recalled how it all began 17 years ago.
“I just signed on the dotted line for my first home over in Lake Nona the week before, and then I came here,” said McDowell, who trails leader Rory McIlroy by 3 strokes. “I don’t remember much about the week at all. The only thing I remember is I finished the 72nd hole ... and I was in the grass center talking a lot as I do.
“Someone told me that Vijay Singh had just dumped it in the water on 18 and it just bumped me up a spot. I was like, ‘Oh, OK.’ I hadn’t played much on the PGA Tour for the kind of money they were playing for and realized it was a fairly large bump in my check.”
Back then, McDowell was splitting time between the PGA and European tours. While he waited for his new place at Lake Nona to be ready to occupy, he stayed at the home of Ricky Elliott, his friend and a longtime Tour caddie.
McDowell ate chicken parmesan the eve of his final-round 66 and biggest payday to date.
“Don’t remember much else about it,” McDowell said of the magical week. “I’ve killed a few brain cells since then, I think.”
McDowell also put together quite a career, highlighted by his 2010 U.S. Open victory at Pebble Beach.
McDowell’s 2019 win at Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship was his fourth on the PGA Tour, while his 2020 victory at the Saudi International was his 11th on the European Tour.
Despite the Tour’s youth movement and premium on distance, McDowell — whose average of 280.6 yards off the team ranks 208th — hopes more wins are ahead.
McDowell realizes his drive for more trophies undercuts his chances to serve as European Ryder Cup captain.
The 2023 captaincy remains undecided, with McDowell in the mix with Lake Nona’s Henrik Stenson and Luke Donald, but on the horizon is a logjam of more qualified candidates — Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Justin Rose and Martin Kaymer.
“There’s too many great guys stacking up,” McDowell said. “There’s too many great players. There’s going to be seven or eight guys vying for the next five or six. Someone’s going to miss.
“You’re talking about top, top European players, of which I am one, but those guys have maybe slightly different credentials than me.”
Following a strong opening round, McDowell is focused on boosting his credentials with a big week at Bay Hill, where he also was runner-up in 2012 to Tiger Woods.
“I kind of have to put my own individual career first,” McDowell said. “I desperately want to get back playing consistently well at a high level again rather than maybe taking my attention away and taking the Ryder Cup captaincy. Maybe part of me would be suggesting that I’m not good enough to make the team.
“Are there 12 better players than me in Europe right now? I’ve got to ask myself that question. If I’m out here doing what I’m doing, I have to say there’s not 12 guys better than me, and I’m good enough to make the team.
“To be able to compete at a high level, I have to have that belief.”
McDowell has struggled recently to build on strong opening rounds. He followed a 68 with a 74 to miss the cut at Phoenix and shot 73-70 during the weekend at the American Express after starting 66-69.
“I’ve been trending in the right direction,” he said. “I’ve been struggling to put it all together, but there’s been a lot of good stuff happening with my game the last three or four months. Some good stuff simmering. I’ve just got to keep knocking on the door and see what happens.”
