This wasn't the way Graeme McDowell wanted to prepare for this week's British Open. Some of McDowell's best scenarios for wins this year have been scuttled by the weather, and that happened again last week in the Barclay's Scottish Open. McDowell held a share of the 36-hole lead, due to a scintillating 64 on Friday that resulted from six birdies, one eagle and no bogeys. A Saturday deluge, however, rendered the Castle Stuart Golf Links in Inverness unplayable, and the tournament was reduced to 54 holes.
The problem on Sunday wasn't so much McDowell, who went out in 2-under-par but, rather, eventual winner Luke Donald, who birdied six of the 10 first holes he played on Sunday. By the time McDowell reached the turn, Donald (who'd started the day a stroke off the lead) had gone three strokes ahead of McDowell.
Then the floor fell out at 12, where McDowell recorded a 9, which looks good only when compared to John Daly's travails at the John Deere. McDowell landed a pair of balls in the gorse and there went the championship. He followed that with a bogey at 13 and signed his name to 74 for the round. McDowell's 207 was 10 more than Donald's winning score.
None of those names were Rory McIlroy, who completed his Open preparations in private. They did include, however, Paul McGinley, who earlier in the week was honored upon appearing in his 500th European Tour event. A resurgent McGinley earned a share of 14th place at 12-under-par 204 (69-69-66).
McGinley had company at that station in the persons of Padraig Harrington and Shane Lowry. Harrington was good for rounds of 69, 67 and 68, while Lowry appeared to have recovered from a brief post-U.S. Open funk with rounds of 69, 70 and 65.
Joining McDowell in the slow lane was Darren Clarke, who shot 75 on Sunday to drop 52 places into a tie for 66th place at 211 (69-67-75).
McDowell and Clarke will be joined by Harrington and McIlroy as part of a 4-ply Irish assault.
U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN
Alison Walshe tied for 27th place at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo. Walshe, a Galway native who now resides in Westford, Mass., was remarkably consistent over 72 holes, shooting an opening 74, followed by three rounds of 73. At 9-over-par 293 for the tournament, Walshe finished 12 strokes off the low score posted by Koreans So Yeon Ryu and Hee Kyung Seo (Ryu won the playoff on Monday morning).
This is the best showing of Walshe's professional career. She finished ahead of such stalwarts as Natalie Gulbis, Stacy Lewis, Se Ri Pak and Michelle Wie. This was Walshe's fourth U.S. Open; she missed the cut twice before and tied for 31st in 2008 while she was still in college at the University of Arizona. In six LPGA Tour events in 2011, she made only one cut, finishing joint-52nd in the ShopRite Classic. She earned $24,042 for her performance in Colorado.
NATIONAL PRO TOUR
Chris Devlin tied for 10th place in the Brickyard Championship at Brickyard Crossing Golf Club in Indianapolis, Ind. The Ballymena native and former college teammate of McDowell shot 9-under-par 279 (73-70-66-70). That left him 13 strokes off the winning number posted by Jesse Schutte, who won by four shots. Devlin earned $3,050.
