Staff WriterThe International Series Macau is set to be the stage where golfing dreams are chased and destinies rewritten.
Former US Open champion Graeme McDowell is fired up for next week’s showdown at the International Macau Series presented by Wynn, eyeing one of three coveted Open Championship spots on his beloved Royal Portrush home course.
Backed by LIV Golf and marking the second of 10 elevated events on the Asian Tour calendar, the tournament runs from 20–23 March.
Fresh off a T12 finish at LIV Golf Hong Kong last week, McDowell is ready to tee off with renewed purpose and a glint of mischief in his eye—a true reflection of his passion for the game.
Speaking on the sidelines of LIV Golf Singapore, the 2010 US Open winner said: “Obviously it is a great opportunity next week in Macau to have three Open Championship spots.
Especially for me with it being Royal Portrush, my hometown, there is a little bit of extra motivation there.
“Obviously the focus is on this weekend. It is a very, very important weekend and then we will turn our attention to Macau next week.
But for me, I feel like I am starting to feel more comfortable with what I am trying to do out here.
I feel like the first couple of seasons I really did not have a purpose. I did not really know what my purpose was.
“I am really starting to kind of see the light again as pathways to these majors start to emerge. Small, but there is light at the end of the tunnel for sure.
“To me, I feel my purpose – the bigger picture, I guess. I feel like the first couple of seasons you were so focused every week on just the ‘now’, when I felt like most of my career there was always something else out there that you were working towards, which helped nearly numb the present and get you cranking and pushing forward.
“I love being in a team like this (Smash GC) where I feel like there’s a bigger purpose, something bigger to play for, and obviously looking to try and get back into a couple of the majors would be amazing.”
Not to be outdone, Smash GC team-mate Jason Kokrak is also setting his sights on a turnaround in Macau.
The American, fresh from a T42 finish at Fanling and a T47 in Adelaide, is eager to rediscover his form on a course he knows well.
After posting a T5 finish last year at Macau Golf and Country Club—just four shots adrift of eventual champion John Catlin in a thrilling playoff—Kokrak is optimistic about what lies ahead.
Kokrak, who opened the season with a T21 under the floodlights at LIV Golf Riyadh, added: “We’re all working hard. We’re striving to play the best golf we can for ourselves and for our team.
This week looking into next week, obviously the key is Sentosa, the LIV Golf Singapore event this week. But we are just trying day-by-day to get better and better.
“I think with the work we have put in, I am starting to feel better and better with the ball striking.
The putter is heating up, so I am looking forward to this week. I had a solid showing last year in Macau, so I am looking forward to competing against some of these guys for those Open spots next week.”
With a blend of fierce competition and the allure of personal redemption, International Series Macau promises to be an unmissable event for golf enthusiasts.
Entry is free for all four days—simply register for tickets at:
https://www.tixr.com/groups/internationalseriesmacau
For further details on The International Series, please visit:
www.internationalseries.com
