Fortunate to even get into a playoff, McDowell ended it quickly with a 5-iron that grazed the edge of the cup on the 18th hole and settled 3 feet away for a birdie to win the OHL Classic at Mayakoba on Monday.
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American Fathauer carded a five-under-par third round of 66 at El Camaleon Golf Club to reach 16-under for the PGA Tour event in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
Jason Bohn was at 17 under through 12 holes.
The playoff lasted one hole thanks to McDowell’s shot, which almost went in.
Overnight leader Graeme McDowell could not repeat his 63 from the day before.
“The scores that this course puts up, I don’t think it matters being in the lead out here”, Fathauer said on the official PGA Tour website.
“There were multiple times during the year where I was losing belief in myself, where you’re asking yourself questions like, ‘Am I good enough anymore?” “I was just out there having fun, trying to make jokes with my caddie and keep the mood light and just play golf”, the 29-year-old Fathauer said after a round that included four birdies in his first nine holes, and one coming in.
“I want to win more major championships and I want to win more tournaments”.
McDowell birdied the 13th to move neck and neck with Knox and set up a Monday morning shootout in Mexico.
The 36-year-old Northern Irishman has endured a miserable 2015, failing to post a top 10 finish while watching his world ranking slide as low as 80th, way down from his peak position of fourth in 2011. McDowell plans to finish his season’s work at this week’s McGladrey Classic in Sea Island, where he played Walker Cup back in 2001.
Ideal demonstration So the three headed out for sudden death and, first to strike his approach, McDowell delivered the piece de resistance.
“It’s been a rough year for all the right reasons”. He missed the green with his second shot from a fairway bunker, then hit a poor pitch, leaving himself a 15-foot par putt that he missed. Golf hasn’t been the priority it should be.
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“I’ve had a spell here the last 18 months where making cuts has been hard and getting in contention has been difficult”.
