A Big Head for McDowell Could Cost him the British Open
Graeme McDowell will play alongside American golfer Phil Mickelson at this year’s 2010 British Open at St. Andrew’s golf course in Fife, Scotland on July 17, 2010. Despite the fact that Phil Mickelson has won four major championships and a total of 38 events on the Professional Golfers’ Association Tour, the buzz going into this month’s Open is all about Graeme McDowell after his unexpected, win at last month’s U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.
McDowell, born July 30 1979 in Portrush, Ireland, has won six events on the European Tour and has represented Ireland as both an amateur and a professional golfer.
After turning professional in 2002, McDowell only just barely made the top 50 ranking needed to qualify for the U.S. Open, which he went on to win. He is now 13th in the world and will confidently stand next to the other major players of the European Team at this year’s Ryder Cup.
While other big names like Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson trailed closely behind and managed to make several big mistakes on the tricky greens of the U.S. Open, McDowell managed to keep a steady game. His win is a big deal seeing that no other Irish native has ever accomplished this feat and his win also makes him the first European to win a U.S. Open since Tony Jacklin brought victory home in 1970. He is also the first British winner of a major championship since 1999 and only the second European to win the U.S. Open since 1925.
It is not just the irregularity of an Irishman winning the U.S. Open that made this win special. Pebble Beach course is known for its rough greens and cramped design. Many commentators refer to it as one of the biggest tests in professional golf.
McDowell himself knows he has a long game, making his win against professionals with a tighter putting game very surprising. On his blog McDowell commented, “You've got to be controlling your spin. You've got to be controlling your flight. There's no doubt I putted better. I putted good this week.”
With players making fated mistakes left and right on the choppy grounds, it could not have been a better time for McDowell to learn how to improve his short game. He made mistakes like every other player but he also made a lot of birdies: “You need to make birdies on a golf course like this to make up for the mistakes—because mistakes are inevitable.” As the Golf Chanel put it, his game was not only shorter and more controlled, but also “more steady than flashy.”
While others took chances, McDowell was proud of the way he handled himself at the Open, steadily keeping the lead with guarded putts that required mental discipline.
“I really stuck to my plan which was to stay patient, stay calm and really put some nice calm swings on it and not really get sucked in by what the rest of the guys were doing," McDowell wrote on his blog.
With a golf tournament so rigged with mistakes that it became a fight for survival, McDowell managed to make the least amount of mistakes, shooting a 74 on the last round to victory.
It is no wonder everyone is whispering about McDowell as a favourite going into the British Open, the oldest of four major championships in professional golf.
The Open has a prize of £4.8 million—£850,000 of which goes to the winner. With the U.S. Open title added to his list of victories, a stellar long game and a vast improvement made to his putting game thanks to the treacherous Pebble Beach course, McDowell is definitely a competitor worth watching.
This is not the time, however, for McDowell to get arrogant. While the Old Course at St. Andrew’s should play up to his driving strength with its long, narrow boot-like shape, he still needs to tackle it with the same humility and focus he brought to the U.S. Open.
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