With the high winds of Saturday, that forced the third round to be delayed a day, replaced by a gentle breeze and greens and fairways soft and lush, 2010 U.S. Open champion McDowell fired eight birdies, although two double-bogeys ruined his card.
Australian Marc Leishman posted an eight-under 64, the pick of the early starters, as the world's best attacked the course at will to race up the leaderboard.
The 7,297-yard, par-72 course needs the elements to offer it some protection, but it had none on Sunday.
American Jim Furyk said "they were as good a scoring condition as I've ever seen here" after a six-under 66.
"You start to see an old test like this one and start wondering what they can do with it to keep it up," Northern Ireland's McDowell said.
"The bunkers are starting to become -- a lot of them are not in play anymore, when you see the type of power that these guys are kind of using and putting on the golf ball.
"I think, with a little bit of a tweak here and there and tightening up some areas, (it will) make guys think a little bit more on some of the tee shots.
"I don't think you've got to go put a ton of yardage on this golf course. I think if this golf course just had a tiny bit more rough and the bunkers were slightly up to modern yardages, I think this golf course is still all there in front of you.
"It doesn't need a complete re-jig. It just needs a little bit of re-shaping."
As for his own game, McDowell was pleased to be going in the right direction after a poor season since a third-place finish at the WGC-HSBC Champions event.
"That was some massive jumps in the right direction today," McDowell, two-under after a 70 on Sunday, said.
"Just disappointing to not get the job done. But all the signs are there. There's a pulse, there's life. I'm in there somewhere. I've just got to keep battling."
(Editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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