Graeme McDowell ground out a second consecutive round of 67 to establish a three shot lead over Ryder Cup team-mate Ian Poulter at the halfway stage of the WGC-HSBC Champions.
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Emerald Biker Relay
McDowell moves three clear
Ryder Cup star Graeme McDowell holds a three-shot lead after two rounds of the £5.4milllion WGC-HSBC Champions in China.
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McDowell uses familiarity for first-round HSBC lead
That Graeme McDowell is atop the leaderboard Thursday after the first round of the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions is not surprising.
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McDowell two shots ahead in Shanghai
Graeme McDowell leads by two shots at the WGC-HSBC Champions tournament in Shanghai, with Tommy Fleetwood sharing second.
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McDowell off to hot start at HSBC Champions
Graeme McDowell opened with seven birdies in 12 holes and hung on for a 5-under 67 on Thursday for a two-shot lead in the HSBC Champions.
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Day 1 in numbers: WGC-HSBC Champions
The first day of the second event in the Final Series, the WGC-HSBC Champions, was all about Graeme McDowell. While many of the world-class field assembled toiled on the narrow fairways of the Sheshan International GC in China, McDowell carded a five under par 67 to lead the way. Check out the other interesting numbers to come out of day one in Shanghai here…
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McDowell marches clear
Graeme McDowell produced a sensational outward nine to hold a two shot lead after the first round of the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai.
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G-Mac two clear at HSBC
Graeme McDowell was left to rue two closing bogeys but his first round 67 was still good enough to grab a two-shot lead after the first round of the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai.
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Inside Sheshan International: GMac’s Course Guide
Ahead of the second part of the 2014 Final Series, the WGC-HSBC Champions, europeantour.com explores host venue Sheshan International Golf Club with the help of Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell.
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Stat attack!: CIMB Classic review
All it took for Ryan Moore to come up with a new nickname was another timely victory on the PGA Tour. With a successful defense of this 2013 title at the CIMB Classic, Moore won for the third time in his career during the Fall Series, which is enough to make the Tacoma News Tribune in Moore’s home state of Washington to refer to him as Mr. October.
We won’t quibble with the fact that this year’s CIMB Classic ended in November, while we point out that Moore’s CIMB Classic win at Kuala Lumpur G&CC’s West course makes him the first player to successfully defend a PGA Tour title since Tiger Woods at the 2013 Arnold Palmer Invitational. Moore beat Sergio Garcia, Kevin Na and Gary Woodland (last year’s runner-up) by three strokes. Moore and Woodland are the first players to finish first and second in the same event in consecutive years since Phil Mickelson beat Jose Maria Olazabal in the BellSouth Classic in 2005 and 2006.
Players with multiple PGA Tour victories during the Fall Series
| Player | Total wins | Tournaments |
| Ryan Moore | 3 | 2014 CIMB Classic, 2013 CIMB Classic, 2012 Shriners Las Vegas |
| Dustin Johnson | 2 | 2013 WGC-HSBC Champions, 2008 Turning Stone Champ. |
| Stephen Ames | 2 | 2009 Disney, 2007 Disney |
Players with consecutive wins in the same PGA Tour event: 2010-2014
| Player | Tournaments |
| Ryan Moore | 2013 and 2014 CIMB Classic |
| Tiger Woods | 2012 and 2013 Arnold Palmer Invitational |
| Steve Stricker | 2011 and 2010 John Deere Classic |
| Geoff Ogilvy | 2009 and 2010 Tournament of Champions |
| Dustin Johnson | 2009 and 2010 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am |
| Steve Stricker | 2009 and 2010 John Deere Classic |
Similarity scores
Moore’s total of 17-under 271 last week was three strokes better than his 274 total in 2013 but he played remarkably similar on Kuala Lumpur’s West course both years. He was T-8 in the field GIR in 2013 and 2014 and he took 112 putts in each tournament. (Moore was also T-5 in 2010, when the CIMB Classic was an unofficial event held at The Mines.)
Moore was in the top 10 in the field in greens hit, total putts, putts per GIR and birdie-conversion percentage Sunday. He made 25 birdies for the week, including eight in a final-round 67 that saw him outpace 54-hole co-leader Kevin Na, who shot 70.
Ryan Moore in the CIMB Classic: 2013-2014
| Year | Scores | Fairways hit (Rank) | GIR (rank) | Putts (rank) |
| 2014 | 68-69-67-67—271 | 41 (T-15) | 56 (T-8) | 112 (6) |
| 2013 | 63-72-67-70—274 | 39 (T-12) | 54 (T-8) | 112 (T-9) |
CIMB Classic leaders in putts per GIR
| Rank | Player | Putts per GIR | Birdie conv. percentage | Finish |
| 1 | Charl Schwartzel | 1.609 | 43.48 (1) | T-19 |
| 2 | Luke Guthrie | 1.640 | 33.64 (19) | T-39 |
| 3 | Cameron Smith | 1.042 | 37.74 (3) | T-5 |
| 4 | Ryan Moore | 1.643 | 37.35 (4) | Won |
| 5 | Jason Dufner | 1.647 | 35.29 (11) | T-26 |
Smith leads Asian contingent
Did you notice the name Cameron Smith just above Moore’s name in the above list. You better get familiar with the 21-year-old Australian who finished T-5 in his PGA Tour debut. The youngster has been touted as the world’s next great Aussie golfer, and had six straight top-10 finishes world-wide from the end of August until early October. His strong finish in the CIMB gives him the opportunity to play another PGA Tour event, as the top-10 qualifies him for this week’s Sanderson Farms Classic in Mississippi.
Smith is the first player to finish in the top 10 in his PGA Tour debut since Chris Wood was T-5 at the 2008 British Open as an amateur. They are among the four players to accomplish this feat since 2000. Keep in mind, there are several players who were top-10 performers in their first PGA Tour start as a pro – Rory McIlroy, Russell Henley and Max Homa to name three – but they all played previously on Tour as amateurs.
Smith was one of three Asian Tour players with top-10s at the CIMB, with Thailand’s Prom Meesawat (nicknamed the Big Dolphin), and Angelo Que of The Philippines proving, once again, that Asian Tour players can be successful when competing against the world’s best.
Players with a top-10 finish in their first PGA Tour start: 2000-2014
| Player | Finish | Tournament |
| Anthony Kim | T-2 | 2006 Valero Texas Open |
| Cameron Smith | T-5 | 2014 CIMB Classic |
| Chris Wood | T-5 | 2008 British Open (as an amateur) |
| Andres Romero | T-8 | 2006 British Open |
Asian Tour players with top-10 finishes at the CIMB Classic: 2010-2014
| Player | Year | Finish |
| Cameron Smith | 2014 | T-5 |
| Prom Meesawat | 2014 | T-8 |
| Angelo Que | 2014 | T-8 |
| Kiradech Aphibarnrat | 2013 | T-3 |
| Jbe’ Kruger | 2012 | T-8 |
| Gangajeet Bhullar | 2012 | T-10 |
| Jeev Milkha Singh | 2011 | T-10 |
| Mardan Mamat | 2010 | T-5 |
Garcia’s year of almosts
Runner-up Sergio Garcia was one stroke off the lead entering Sunday’s final round, but couldn’t keep up with Moore Sunday, shooting a final-round 69 to finish three back. The Spaniard, who has won several times in Asia – he counts victories in Qatar, Thailand, China, Korea and Malaysia among his triumphs in the continent – hasn’t been so successful winning anywhere in the world in recent months. His last worldwide victory came in Qatar in January, and more recently he’s had six top-three finishes without winning since April.
Sergio Garcia’s near misses in 2014
| Tournament | Finish | Result |
| CIMB Classic | T-2 | Two back of Ryan Moore |
| WGC-Bridgestone Inv. | 2 | 2 back of Rory McIlroy |
| British Open | T-2 | 2 back of Rory McIlroy |
| Travelers Champ. | T-2 | 1 back of Kevin Streelman |
| Players | 3 | 2 back of Martin Kaymer |
| Shell Houston Open | 3 | 2 back of Matt Jones |
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