Graeme McDowell could think of no better way to head home for a 10-week holiday that to win for the first time in two years.
And he couldn’t have found a better place to end the drought than Sherwood Country Club.
Even with the course playing longer than ever in a light rain, McDowell closed with a 4-under 68 on Sunday and held off Keegan Bradley with a pair of superb short-game shots that carried him to a three-shot win in the World Challenge in Thousand Oaks, Calif.
It was the 10th time in 12 rounds at Sherwood that McDowell has shot in the 60s, and he extended his dominance on the course that Jack Nicklaus carved out in the foothills of Conejo Valley. In three appearances, McDowell has won twice and was runner-up.
“This really caps off my season,” McDowell said. “We try not to put winning on a pedestal, but this one feels very sweet because it’s been a grind all year.”
ELSEWHERE
Martin Kaymer of Germany shot a 3-under 69 for a two-shot victory at the Nedbank Golf Challenge in Sun City, South Africa. ... Australia’s Steven Bowditch shot an 8-under 64 on PGA West’s Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course to take a one-stroke lead after the fifth round of the PGA Tour qualifying tournament in La Quinta, Calif. The final round is today. ... Canada’s Rebecca Lee-Bentham shot a 5-under 67 to tie Thailand’s Moriya Jutanugarn for the top spot in the LPGA Tour qualifying tournament in Daytona Beach, Fla., leading the 20 players who earned full status.
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