Rory McIlroy exited the WGC-Dell World Match Play but Graeme McDowell reckons his new coach Pete Cowen has the tools to inspire him to Masters glory.

McIlroy made a 33 footer from the fringe as he racked up an eagle and six birdies to halve with Australia’s Cameron Smith as Ian Poulter defeated Lanto Griffin 271 to top the group and advance to the last 16.

It’s clear McIlroy needs helps to get back to his free-flowing best and McDowell (41), who has worked with Cowen for years, is banking on the Sheffield man to help him avoid paralysis by analysis.

“Rory and Pete, it reminds me a bit when Rory made the jump from [putting guru Phil] Kenyon to [Brad] Faxon a few years ago when he won at Bay Hill,” said McDowell, who fired a three-under 69 to lie just two shots behind leaders Rafael Campos, Fabrizio Zanotti and Justin Suh in the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship where Seamus Power shot 72 and Pádraig Harrington a 75 to make the cut on level par.

“It’s that transition from technique to just playing the game. It happened to me in 2010, when I was getting a little bogged down by technique. Pete’s a great guy at just getting you out there looking at ball flight, looking at spin control and he gets you playing the game again.”

Given Cowen’s track record with Major winners, McDowell sees McIlroy contending for that elusive green jacket next month.

“We know how talented Rory is,” he said. “It won't take much to kind of put a spark into that golf swing and just become a little bit more into his target and a little bit more into the ball shaping. That's the kind of thing I think Pete would bring to the table.

“I wouldn't be surprised to see Rory come out of this mini slump or whatever you want to call it that he's in right now. With Augusta around the corner, we all know what that means to him. It would be great to see him do it.”

In Austin, the already eliminated Shane Lowry signed off with a 3&2 win over Colombia’s Sebastián Muñoz as Tommy Fleetwood beat Bryson DeChambeau 1-up and Sergio Garcia aced the fourth playoff hole to beat Lee Westwood and advance to the last 16.
World No 1 Dustin Johnson bowed out when he lost the last two holes to Kevin Na and Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre hit his tee shot to three feet at the 371-yard 18th to halve with Adam Long and top their group.

South Africa’s Daniel Von Tonder (30) beat Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond with a birdie at the third tie hole to win the Kenya Savannah Classic and his maiden European Tour title after they tied on 21-under after final round 64s.

Cormac Sharvin was 48th on eight-under after a 69 but Jonathan Caldwell triple-bogeyed the first to finish a shot further back in 57th after a 74.

On the LPGA Tour, Stephanie Meadow shot 75 to fall back to tied 17th on one-under in the Kia Classic, eight shots behind leader Inbee Park with Leona Maguire tied 50th on two-over after a 74.