Golf Special Edition: Graeme McDowell’s pursuit of peace after success
Graeme McDowell’s win at the 2010 US Open didn’t give him a beach and a cocktail. After the victory at the pebble beach, McDowell discovered challenges only the winners know of. When he returned first to America after the 2010 Championship, McDowell had jokingly stated that he always thought he’d be sitting on a beach somewhere sipping cocktail after winning a Championship but success had its own plans. Like every other winner who won the first time in the past 7 years, success isn’t what most can handle.
With the Irishman winning the US Open Championship, his biggest problem is to decide what to do next. McDowell’s gigantic problems aren’t choosing between a Mojito and a Margarita, rather, his uncertainty regarding his future course of golf.
According to the 31-year-old, it may be hard to climb to the top, but it’s harder to get back down. He used Michael Campbell’s quote as a good analogy, he said that we need more people to tell us how to descend the Mount Everest. After climbing to the summit of Everest, it’s getting back down that can make or break you. Some would easily descend but many die on their way back.
Success affects everyone tasted a bit or two of it. It can affect the person and his career in countless ways. Yang Yong-Eun was affected after his Shanghai victory in a good way. His win paved his way for staring down Tiger Woods in 2006 HSBC Championship.
On the other hand, some have found it tricky. Michael Campbell is an example of success ruining many careers that were successful. In 2005 Campbell won the US Open as well as the HSBC World Match Play. He found getting his feet back on the ground the hard way; Campbell hasn’t been able to win a tournament since 2005, and doesn’t even rank in the top 100 Australians. Campbell’s victory had made it difficult for him to find new goals and new motivations.
Of course Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are an example hard to miss. Considering their game and the success, they haven’t been much of a hassle. Woods faced it in an early age; Jack Nicklaus’s record of Championships counting to 18 was broken by Tiger at an age much early. Mickelson had the title of “best not to win a major”. The lefty had this title over his head for so long that even after his win in 2004, he felt it in his duty to go out and gather some more in his hands, he gathered 4 more.
McDowell said that the attention that comes after the win is tough to handle. He states that the weeks after you hold the trophy is always overwhelming. He divided the attention into one by media and the other by the people back at home. After achieving the biggest goal one strived for while growing up, holding the Cup, making the speech is all good. How to handle the attention that comes afterwards is tough and handling the level of pressure throughout the year is even tougher.
Woods and the lefty represent what true golfers are. Winning is what every other player wants, but handling the distractions that come with victory is the toughest part. Most players beat themselves up, as to why they aren’t playing well and sometimes find it hard to maintain their form. The true test comes when the players know how to handle the whirlwind comes along with the victory.
McDowell had been in the same whirlwind but handled himself well, and so did Tim Clark. He is one of the major winners in 2010 with the Players Championship, Majors and WGC events as the elite tournaments. According to Lee Westwood, hard work counts but Quality is the basic trigger, since it would lead to strengthening the golfers’ techniques, making them mentally stronger as well.
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