Seemingly he does not have the accolades to be a U.S. Open champion, especially on a course like Pebble Beach. However, on Sunday Northern Irish golfer Graeme McDowell showed that he had the game required to be one.
Though playing amongst a field of superstars such as Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and Ernie Els, McDowell seemed comfortable atop the leaderboard. His performance of steadiness and consistency has secured his place in history as Ireland’s first U.S. Open champion.
In his final round of play McDowell managed only one birdie, an eight-foot putt on the fifth hole. Regardless he avoided many of the errors that plagued his opponents and his well-executed closing score of a 3-over 74 was enough for the victory. This result ties Andy North for the highest final round score shot by a winner. North shot his final round 74 in 1985 at Oakland Hills. McDowell’s victory not only makes him the first Irish champion, but also the first European in 40 years to win America’s national golf championship. The last European champion prior to McDowell was England’s Tony Jacklin. Jacklin won the 1970 Open held at Hazeltine. Though Europe’s success has been limited in the U.S. Open, McDowell is actually the fifth non-American to win the title in the last seven years.
While McDowell’s calculated play must be praised, he was only able to seize control of the event after a final round collapse by Dustin Johnson. Johnson, who has traditionally been successful at Pebble Beach and is the reigning winner of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, led McDowell by three strokes going into the final round. Johnson’s entire lead was erased by the triple-bogey he took on the second hole, and a double-bogey on the following hole all but sealed his fate. He managed to shoot an 82 and finished tied for eighth.
No less surprising than McDowell’s victory was who he was competing against in the end. Although star players Woods, Mickelson, and Els, who combined have a total of 21 Majors, were trailing McDowell, it was Frenchman Gregory Havret who was his closest competitor. Havret is currently ranked 391st in the Official World Golf Rankings, but shot a phenomenal 72 in the final round. Unfortunately, he failed to convert a few putts at the end of the round and finished one stroke behind McDowell overall.
McDowell himself saw the humor in the situation and stated: “When you have Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els there, you're not expecting Gregory Havret to be the guy you've got to fend off.”
When given the silver trophy, McDowell joyously said: “"I can't believe I'm standing with this right now. It's a dream come true. I've been dreaming it all my life. Two putts to win the U.S. Open. Can't believe it happened."
The elite golfers cited as top-contenders for the title were in some disbelief regarding McDowell’s victory as well. World No. 1 player Tiger Woods, who was attempting to overshadow his recent personal troubles with success on the course, bogeyed five of the first 10 holes and had a final round score of 75. He took nothing away from McDowell when expressing dismay at his own play. "I made three mental mistakes," Woods said unhappily. "The only thing it cost us was a chance to win the U.S. Open."
Phil Mickelson, who fared better in the final round with a 73, also tied with Woods for fourth overall. In regards to his performance, Mickelson said: "It was anybody's ball game. I had a number of opportunities to get well under par, and I didn't do it."
McDowell needs to use his performance as a catalyst for further success in his career. Winning the Open does not necessarily translate to future victories. Last year’s winner Lucas Glover tied for 58th in the Open and tied for 36th in this year’s U.S. Masters.
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