McDowell spurred by failure fear

THE EXTERIOR is invariably cool, calm and collected. Yet, as he admitted of himself, even Graeme McDowell – so strong mentally – possesses that most natural trait of all humans: the fear of failure!

It got to the stage during the US Open at the Olympic Club that his backroom team of management and caddie had to reassure the Ulsterman – winner of the title at Pebble Beach in 2010 – that such lofty heights were where he belonged.

“I’ve gone through these emotions all the time. It’s basic stuff. It’s basically fear. Fear of going our there and messing it all up. I always remember reading (Bob) Rotella’s books when I was a kid: the two fears we all have are the fear of success and the fear of failure. I don’t fear success. I only fear failure, really. We all do,” recalled McDowell.

When McDowell expressed such doubts to caddie Kenny Comboy and manager Conor Ridge, the response was to sit down and talk about the matter prior to Saturday’s third round.

“I think being able to verbalise it with my team, and talk to them about it, put it in perspective. You’ve got to put the game in perspective . . . that was really my basic fear, going out there and messing up.”

One of the shoulders that McDowell leaned on was Comboy, who has been on his bag since 2006 and who has put him in his place on more than one occasions.

“We’re human beings and we all have negative thoughts. It’s just important to everyone they have ways of dealing with them. I like to verbalise and talk to my caddie. He tells me to wise up and (uses) other expletives. He gets me thinking correctly. And I’m lucky I have a good team around me to help me with that.

“You’ve just got to get the mind in the right place and realise we’re all scared of messing it up. You might as well go and try to do good. I got my head screwed back on again,” he said.

McDowell’s rather public confession of his inner thoughts – especially coming from a player with major success and his heroic role in the Ryder Cup – perhaps gave as much insight into the mindset of a leading player as anyone in the midst of a recent major championship.

Interestingly, McDowell provided the answers to his own doubts. He suggested there were two things a golfer needed to do out on the course: one, to execute his game plan; and, two, to get into a relaxed frame of mind.

Although McDowell had played inconsistently in the lead up to this event he had claimed coming in that his game was ready. His play justified that confidence even if the fear factor was at the back of his mind.