What lies beneath a victory

European Tour: The adage of learning to walk before you can run is a little misplaced in the case of Graeme McDowell, who discovered the art of winning on tour while still wet behind the ears. However, the player's second career win on the PGA European Tour, secured in yesterday's conclusion to a weather-delayed Italian Open, was the product of an evolving maturity. He left little to chance in terms of his development.

To rediscover his winning ways, McDowell transformed not only his swing, with significant input from Butch Harmon, but also his entire backroom team. "I really changed everything for this season," remarked the player of what is now known as Team McDowell, which includes Claude Harmon (coach), Karl Morris (sports psychologist), Matt Harbour (caddie) and Adam Griffin (fitness coach). About the only thing that didn't change was his management group, ISM, with Chubby Chandler continuing to keep a watching brief on McDowell's progress.

Yesterday's victory was not unexpected by the player, or his manager. "Chubby and myself have been talking about this for months, that it was only a matter of when, not if," said McDowell, who won his first professional title, the Scandinavian Masters, in August 2002 just eight weeks into life on tour.

"This win has come as no surprise to me, but it is so exciting to have put in so much effort and to get the rewards. I sort of rested on my laurels after winning in Sweden. But I really completely changed everything at the end of last season. Now, it is a case of keep moving forward and I will get into the big tournaments that I want to play in."

McDowell has yet to play in a major, but those tournaments are precisely the ones that he wants to compete in. The Portrush man has entered for US Open qualifying next month (he will attempt to secure a ticket to Shinnecock Hills at the Lake Nona qualifying), and can now expect to make his debut in the British Open at Royal Troon in July.

"I knew I was on the right path. I've put in a lot of hard work, and this win means a lot more to me than the one in Sweden. There, I was still doing what I was doing as an amateur . . . now, I feel like a proper professional. I've really changed everyone and everything and it has all been positive.

"I was frustrated with last year," added McDowell, who had only one top-10 finish in the 2003 season (at the Deutsche Bank TPC of Europe, where he finished tied-fifth behind Padraig Harrington). "Life on tour can be a lonely place, and when things weren't going right with my swing I didn't feel there was anyone I could talk to. Now I have got everyone."

McDowell's season in many ways was transformed at the Madeira Island Open, not a tournament with the biggest purse, but it was there he secured the first of three top-10 finishes this season. He had missed the cut in back-to-back weeks at the Dubai Desert Classic and the Qatar Masters, and had then spent two days working with Claude Harmon. "I left Claude with a lot of positive things, feeling really like a new person," he said.

The result was a tied-seventh finish in Madeira, followed by a tied-third at the Portuguese Open. And though he finished well down the field in the Seville Open and the Spanish Open, he at least made the cut in each tournament. The win in Milan was waiting to happen. "I was playing well and it was just a matter of finding the right course. I played three great rounds of golf and so did other players, so it was a good way to win." He eventually saw off the challenge of Frenchman Thomas Levet at the fourth tie hole.

McDowell, who has already played 10 tournaments on the European Tour this season, doesn't intend to let up too much over the coming weeks. He tees it up in this week's British Masters at the Forest of Arden, and then takes a week's break before playing in the Deutsche Bank and the Volvo PGA.

McDowell is one of six Irish players entered in the field for the British Masters, which carries a top prize of €395,123. Darren Clarke, who has won two English Open titles on this course, returns after a two-week break (he had played four of five weeks in the US) for his first appearance in Europe of the season, while Paul McGinley is also entered despite undergoing knee surgery only last month. Peter Lawrie, Gary Murphy and Damien McGrane are also competing.

Padraig Harrington, meanwhile, returns to competitive action after a two-week lay-off, but it won't be at the Forest of Arden. The Dubliner competes in the Macao Open on the Asian Tour, and will remain in Asia to defend his title in the BMW Asian Open in China, which is co-sanctioned by the European Tour.

After that Harrington will defend his title in the Deutsche Bank, but has decided to stand by his decision not to play in the Volvo PGA at Wentworth.

On the secondary tours on either side of the Atlantic, it proved to be a productive weekend for two aspiring players. In Europe, Michael Hoey consolidated his challenge for a full tour card by claiming a top-15 finish in the Renault Challenge in Leon, Spain, to lie in 15th position on the Challenge Tour order of merit, while Richie Coughlan's tied-third finish in the BMW pro-am in South Carolina on the Nationwide Tour improved his position from 73rd to 26th.

Coughlan continues his quest for a card in this week's Chattanooga Classic.

EUROPEAN TOUR ORDER OF MERIT (Irish positions): 3, Darren Clarke a453,251; 4, Padraig Harrington a400,254; 10, Graeme McDowell a305,365; 25, Paul McGinley a200,118; 63, Peter Lawrie a86,777; 73, Damien McGrane a70,228; 95, Gary Murphy a47,441.

Johnnie Walker T-45th €6,928

Heineken Classic MC

ANZ Championship T-34th 6,128

Dubai Desert Classic MC

Qatar Masters MC

Madeira Open T-7th 13,896

Portuguese Open T-3rd 70,375

Seville Open T-59th 3,416

Spanish Open T-59th 4,620

Italian Open 1st 200,000