Daily Mail

G-Mac tees up a huge summer

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IN THE years since they were team-mates at the 2014 Ryder Cup, Graeme McDowell and Stephen Gallacher have had more weekends off than they care to remember. They are two of the true nice guys of the sport, so no wonder Sunday brought such an outpouring of goodwill, as the pair ended their long barren spells without a win — four years in G-Mac’s case and five for Stevie G. For Gallacher, there was the pleasure of victory at the Indian Open being achieved in tandem with son Jack as caddie. For McDowell, who had only conditiona­l status to play on the PGA Tour, his victory in the Dominican Republic guarantees his playing privileges until the end of 2021. ‘This is big for the people who stood by me, because it’s been a rough few years,’ said the 39-year-old Northern Irishman. This is a massive summer for McDowell. In June, the US Open returns to Pebble Beach, where he won the title in 2010. A month later, the Open is being staged in his hometown at Portrush. This victory might not get him into the field for the latter, but there must be every hope he will now play with the freedom to earn the spot he craves.

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