McDowell works late to make up for lost time
He started a family since the 2010 U.S. Open, but don’t think that inner fire has died down
Graeme McDowell was staring at the ground on the first fairway at Erin Hills.
It was before dinnertime on Tuesday and with most players done practising for the day, it seemed like the perfect time for a quick walk around the golf course. The 2010 U.S. Open champion was in no rush as he examined a small basin-like spot on the right side of the fairway. Measurements were made and notes were taken. This would be a spot to avoid later in the week.
Like the championship itself, preparing for the U.S. Open can be gruelling. Once play begins, it’s all about positivity and visualizing perfect outcomes.
But that means the days before have to be spent making sure you know where all the less-thanperfect outcomes lie, and there’s plenty of evil to be found at the U.S. Open. Nine-hole practice rounds routinely take more than three hours to complete when the course is busy.
But it wasn’t busy when McDowell was examining the course. The morning thunderstorms were long gone and it was calm, warm and stunningly beautiful.
“It’s nice to come out here in the evenings away from the madding crowds, as they say,” McDowell said. “You know, major championship practice rounds can be quite demanding. You’ve got a lot of media. You’ve got a lot of people. The intensity level is just cranked up in a lot of different ways and you know you have to conserve your energy.”
Tuesday was not the day to conserve energy, however — that would be Wednesday. Monday was equipment day, which McDowell spent mainly on the driving range working on any troublesome aspects of his swing while dialing in the equipment. Tuesday was a work day and the Northern Irishman had already put in a long one.
I spotted McDowell on the range just after breakfast and then again after lunch. As dinner approached, he and his caddy were hard at work on the nearempty course.
“I guess after years of playing major championships, I’ve learned that one of the busiest times to come and play is 7 a.m.,” McDowell said. “I don’t know if that’s the Tiger syndrome — guys have been watching Tiger play at about 6:30 and 7 a.m. before the majors and they assume that’s the route to success, you know?
“I’m a guy who likes to play midafternoon, late afternoon. It’s a little quieter. You can have some peace and quiet, and get your job done — and what’s your job? The job is to find a way to get around this golf course.”
Finding a way around this sprawling course in Wisconsin isn’t easy. Erin Hills is not a classic U.S. Open course — far from it. The 11-year-old course has never hosted a major championship and its severe bunkers, rolling fairways and undulating greens take plenty getting used to. McDowell made an early scouting trip last Monday, which he hopes will pay off.
Erin Hills has a linksy look to it, so McDowell decided to try a few links-style bump-and-run shots from behind the second green. The severe slope and soft conditions made the ball stop short of the green every time. This is no links course. Expect McDowell to play the ball through the air from around the greens this week.
On the way to the next hole, a lonely fan wandered by.
“How ya hitting ’em today, G. Mac?” he asked.
“Not bad,” the 37-year-old said. “Don’t want to hit them too good on Tuesday though.”
McDowell has a plan. He’s played in 45 major championships with five top 10s and a win. It’s been seven years since his U.S. Open victory at Pebble Beach, where his even-par score was enough to beat little-known Frenchman Gregory Havret by one, Ernie Els by two and Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods by three. The win made McDowell an instant star, and his Irish charm put him near the top of everybody’s list of golfers they’d like to have a beer with.
Part of being this well-rounded good guy is having the ability to enjoy success. After basking for a while in his major win, McDowell married his wife Kristin in 2013. The couple had a daughter in 2014 and last September added a son. History will remember him as the first European to win the U.S. Open in 40 years, but seven years after his major triumph I wondered what more McDowell, the golfer, wanted.
On this perfect evening, on this stunning piece of land in the middle of nowhere, I asked him how much the possibilities that lie ahead this week inspire him.
“Listen, you know, the dream’s probably about as alive as it’s ever been in my mind to win another major championship,” he said. “You know, I feel like, I feel like the seven years since I won the U.S. Open have been fun, exciting and life-changing. I got married, had two babies, game suffered a little bit, but I’ve been going through a period of refocus and re-motivation.
“And like I said, the dream, the dream feels like it’s reigniting inside of me: to really be one of the best players in the game again and to win major championships.”