McDowell's Magic Moment

Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland has won The European Tour Shot of the Month for November for his magnificent albatross on the 17th hole at Club de Golf Valderrama in the final round of the 2007 Volvo Masters. Lying three shots off the lead with only two holes remaining, McDowell took on the green at the demanding par five and produced a shot he later described as “one of those magic moments”. Faced with 186 yards to a pin guarded by water, the Ulsterman hit a seven iron which took the perfect bounce before rolling into the cup for that rarest of golfing birds. "It was unbelievable, I have never felt anything like it and it is a memory that will stay with me for a long time," he said. "To do that on the final day at Valderrama, in the sunshine and in front of a huge crowd, was something truly special." The albatross two catapulted McDowell into a share of the lead before a double bogey on the final hole saw him finish joint fourth. Runner-up in November was England’s Simon Dyson for another superb shot in the closing stages at Valderrama. With the Volvo Masters nearing its conclusion, Dyson hit his second shot to the 16th hole to within inches of the cup to set up his third birdie of the back nine. He went on to birdie the 17th and put himself into a three-way play-off for the title, ultimately won by England’s Justin Rose. Germany’s Martin Kaymer claimed third place for a sublime chip shot on the fourth hole at Valderrama during the final round. Kaymer, who went on to win The 2007 Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Award, narrowly missed the green on the par five with an aggressive second shot which finished in the trees behind the putting surface. After much deliberation, he played an outstanding chip through the trees to enable him to walk away with a par. Other winners this year have been: Retief Goosen of South Africa (January), Mikko Ilonen of Finland (February and August), South Africans Anton Haig (March) and Charl Schwartzel (April), Justin Rose of England (May), Argentina’s Angel Cabrera (June), Ireland’s Padraig Harrington (July), Australia’s Brett Rumford (September) and England’s Steve Webster (October). The winning shots from each month are entered towards The European Tour Shot of the Year which will be announced in December.