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McDowell to make his first appearance at the Masters in four years

Former US Open champion Graeme McDowell is set to make his first appearance at the Masters in fou...
Phil Egan
Phil Egan

12.27 8 Apr 2020


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McDowell to make his first app...

McDowell to make his first appearance at the Masters in four years

Phil Egan
Phil Egan

12.27 8 Apr 2020


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Former US Open champion Graeme McDowell is set to make his first appearance at the Masters in four years if the rescheduled tournament goes ahead as planned later this year.

Augusta National was due to host the event in April but it has been pushed back to November due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Open Championship is the only one of golf's four majors to be cancelled while the other three, all on American soil are still hoping to go ahead later in the year.

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McDowell was 49th in the world when the rankings were frozen at the end of March but organisers of the Masters have confirmed the field will feature the top 50 players in the current rankings.

The 2010 US Open champion was outside the top 200 in 2018 but now looks set to play at Augusta, where his best finish is a share of 12th place in 2012.

McDowell told Golfbytourmiss: "It had been a big goal to get back into the top-50 on the rankings but to drop to 51st and then back to 49th just ahead of that deadline, and after the Players had been cancelled, was pretty bizarre and I was concerned I would find myself in a grey area.

"The people involved with The Masters were fantastic with me and literally called me 20 minutes after the press release to inform me I was in the field.

"So, it’s great to know I can now include the Masters on my schedule even though the second week of November is going to be very different for everyone compared to a second week in April."

McDowell also said he was looking forward to sharing the occasion with his family.

"I’m also very excited to get the kids in their white boiler suits at the Par-3 Contest. I haven’t had a chance to have all 3 of them out there since I have missed the last few years, so that will be a special moment.

"It’s so important not to lose sight of the bigger picture still at stake here. Lives are at stake all over the world and sport is irrelevant in comparison.

"We all have to do the right thing. It’s a responsibility and there is just no other choice right now."


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