Spring has returned to McDowell's step

The swagger is back. For much of a season spent rolling backward down the hill, Graeme McDowell kept believing. He kept believing that someday his driver would behave and his approach shots would find the greens. And, of late, that's what has happened.

That's why he is here at Winged Foot, ready to play in the US Open. He's got forward momentum again.

On Sunday night, a three-putt bogey on the last hole of the Barclays Classic at Westchester cost him somewhere between $30,000 and $70,000. But that's the past, and yesterday McDowell - living proof of the power of neurolinguistic programming - was back to his most confident.

This is his 10th week in a row playing tournament golf, on both sides of the Atlantic.

"You know, I've been a little under the weather since last Friday. I haven't been feeling great, and I think my body is trying to tell me that I've played a little too much golf," he admitted. "But I'm right up for this week, have no doubt about it . . . my game's in pretty good shape. The key for this week was to get a driver that was getting the ball on the fairway."

McDowell has switched his season around. Early in the year he couldn't make a cut for love or money. He missed six straight cuts in the USA. Last week illustrated how the 26-year-old Portrush man has transformed his season. He came through qualifying at Walton Heath, then finished 12th at Westchester.

The choc-a-bloc schedule is a consequence of his poor early season, but also his desire to make Europe's Ryder Cup team.

"The schedule is pretty much about pushing for the Ryder Cup, but also a bit of a rebound from the start of the season and not getting off to a good start. I'm starting to play well now and I want to keep the momentum going."

McDowell's fall from the world's top 50 cost him an automatic place in the US Open, and he had to take the qualifying route. He is hoping to take inspiration from Michael Campbell - the champion took a similar route 12 months ago.

"I think I can do well. I think I can perform well. I think I have got the game that suits the US Open. I'm expecting to do well. I think the course suits me. Michael Campbell is a great golfer . . . Winning the US Open probably was not as much of a surprise as everyone made it out to be . . . but I think that gives us all belief coming out of the qualifying."