Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship: Top 10 power rankings

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PUNTA CANA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC – MARCH 31: Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland poses with the trophy after putting in to win on the 18th green during the final round of the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship on March 31, 2019 in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /

We find our defending tournament champion in dire straits. That could have also been said before he went out and won this event last year.

McDowell went four years since his last PGA Tour win (2015 OHL Classic) and plummeted to 257th in the world entering the 2019 Puntacana Resort & Club Championship. So, of course, McDowell goes on to win despite an opening 73, closing in 64-64-69 to win by one on a packed leaderboard.

He knew the best players in the world were playing the WGC-Match Play that week. It was extra motivation to try to get back to that level.

“I sat over there Wednesday and I said that I was here on a mission, I was here motivated, and the attitude was going to be very, very important this week,” McDowell was quoted in 2019 by Tee Scripts. “I got off to a slow start and then I kind of found my groove Friday, Saturday, especially on the greens.”

McDowell led the field in putts per GIR (1.519), which helped him finish first in birdies (27). The Northern Irishman didn’t have the best ball striking week, which makes me wonder if he can replicate such a hot week on the greens.

The putter has been a hot and cold club for McDowell. We’ve seen him sink big putts to win the 2010 U.S. Open and for winning European Ryder Cup teams. He was fourth on the PGA Tour in 2018-19 in strokes gained putting (.731), only to drop to 142nd (-.222) last season.

The 41 year old picked up three top-25s in eight PGA Tour starts last season, including T-4th at the Sony Open. He was also a winner in February on the European Tour at the Saudi International. McDowell finished ahead of contenders Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia.

I’d like to have McDowell higher this week, but his form is a little shaky going in. Obviously we’ve seen him spring up and win out of nowhere multiple times, but eight missed cuts in his last nine tries is worrisome. He did finish in the top 40 against a good field at the Workday Charity Open and an elite one at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational.

McDowell won’t win this week, but good memories of a week at the beach will get him back on track.

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