EUROPEAN TOUR SCOTTISH OPEN: GRAEME McDOWELL would be a proud man if he could retain his Scottish Open title but he knows it will count for nothing in terms of preparation for next week's British Open.
“There is no way round it,” the 29-year-old Northern Ireland man said on the eve of the Loch Lomond event. “This is not ideal preparation for the British Open.
“You couldn’t get two more different styles of golf. This week is a second-shot golf course and I think next week (at Turnberry) is a tee-shot, positional course.
“There are a lot of birdies out there (this week) and you’ve definitely got to take advantage of the easy holes,” added McDowell. “It’s a reasonably wide open course that rewards.”
McDowell’s steady climb up the rankings and his debut in last year’s Ryder Cup have given him more chances to compete with the sport’s elite and he knows there is a chasm of difference between the majors and most regular tour events. “Majors are different tournaments,” said the world number 45. “The courses are so brutally tough that mental and physical stamina comes into it a lot more.”
McDowell said he gained such an adrenaline rush from winning the 2008 Scottish Open it was inevitable there would be a backlash at the following week’s major championship where he finished joint 19th.
“I ran out of steam on the weekend at Birkdale, no doubt about it,” he said. “It was just the emotions of it all. It is very hard to switch the brain back on after as big a win as this was for me. Any time I have ever won it has been a massive high and it takes me a little bit of time to come down from that.”
McDowell has four European Tour victories to his name but there is no doubt which one he rates the highest.
“I have lots of great memories from last year and it (the Scottish Open) was definitely one of the highlights of my career,” he said. “It was probably the best event I have won, against the best field.
“It solidified my place in the Ryder Cup team, which was huge, and my mum and dad were in the crowd.
“It was the first time they had watched me win as a pro. Last year was pretty special.”
Ernie Els goes into the event without a win in his last 36 events and having missed the halfway cut at both the Masters and US Open.
The South African’s 40th birthday is in three months, but he says: “I’m not turning 50, I’m turning 40 – I think there’s a big difference.
“I think at 50 we might have a different discussion, but Kenny Perry’s 48 and he’s third in the world [fourth actually]. There’s plenty in the tank – I just have to go out there and get it going again.
“I feel like I’ve been kind of searching, floating around a little bit – so let’s get a little bit more drive and go. I definitely still have a burning desire to do well and win golf tournaments.”
After revealing his son’s autism early last year, Els devoted a lot of time and energy into promoting awareness of the illness and even moved the family base from Wentworth to Florida so six-year-old Ben could receive the best treatment Els could find.
Those efforts continue, of course, but you get the sense that the former world number one – whose current ranking of 23rd is the lowest it has been for 15 years – is now focusing more on his career again.
“My swing feels pretty good. It’s just a couple of mental issues on the course – sometimes I’m not quite there for some reason and I need to work on that.”
The star-studded field also includes 20-year-old Rory McIlroy, Masters champion Angel Cabrera and a group of players over early from the US Tour like Colombian Camilo Villegas, Australians Adam Scott, Stuart Appleby and Geoff Ogilvy.
THE LOWDOWN
Course:Loch Lomond GC, near Glasgow.
Length: 7,139 yards. Par: 71.
Prizemoney:€3 million (€500,000 for the winner).
Layout: Generous off the tees with plenty of birdie chances. A tough 455-yard par-four finishing hole with plenty of water if off target.
Field: 156.
Defending champion: Graeme McDowell recorded his second win of the season beating James Kingston by two shots.
On TV:Live on Sky for first two days, 10am. BBC on weekend afternoons.
Weather forecast:Starting cloudy and breezy, wetter at weekend.
