MORTIFIED, embarrassed, chastened, angry and frustrated. You name it, Graeme McDowell was feeling it as he caught a flight to China after the worst weekend of his professional career at Valderrama.

He arrived at the famed Spanish golf course last week to defend the Andalucia Masters, a title he won in 2010, and departed it on Sunday 54th of the 54 players who completed 72 holes. Two rounds in the 80s – 81 and 82 – left him comfortably adrift of the man in 53rd place and prompted a bout of necessary self-examination.

“I threw the towel in a little bit over the last 27 holes,” he concedes of his Spanish demise.

“I started trying to hit some stupid shots from the trees, had a bit of an attitude – get me to China quickly so I can start at level par again.”

It takes a big man to admit he gave up, and an even bigger man to reverse course. Par was duly restored when McDowell stepped up to hit his opening shot of the HSBC Champions tournament in Shanghai yesterday and when he finished his round he was three shots to the good which in the circumstances represented a fine effort.

Michael Hoey, however, was four-over-par after the first round.

Bradley Keegan, the surprise winner of this year’s PGA Championship, signed for a hugely impressive 65, seven under par, to lead after the first day around a soggy Sheshan International golf course.

Meanwhile, Simon Thornton failed to make headway in the second round of the Apulia San Domenico Grand Final yesterday, but his hopes of gaining a European Tour card for 2012 are still well and truly alive after a one-under-par 70 left him tied for 23rd.

The Newcastle, Co Down man finished the day nine shots off the lead, set by the mercurial young Englishman Tommy Fleetwood after he shot a spectacular ten under par 61.

But Thornton is still well-placed to earn a finish high enough to consolidate his place in the all-important top 20 who will win their cards to compete at the top level of the European game next year.