G-Mac (66) chose D&D over Wentworth for right reasons

FORT WORTH, Texas – After more than a decade playing the PGA Tour it’s difficult even for Graeme McDowell to believe that this week is his first start at the Dean & DeLuca Invitational.

Colonial is, after all, a perfect fit for McDowell’s game, particularly on days like Thursday when the winds whipped from all points on the compass, but for the Northern Irishman it’s always been a question of timing.

The Fort Worth stop has traditionally conflicted with the BMW PGA Championship, the European Tour’s flagship event, and before moving to July, the Irish Open was also played in late May.

This year, however, McDowell’s focus shifted to the season-long points race, on which he currently ranks 107th,…