Pádraig Harrington was speaking in relation to Rory McIlroy when recently asserting that consistency is overrated but it is another Northern Irishman, Graeme McDowell, who is proving precisely that.
McDowell’s rollercoaster but brilliantly successful year continued with victory at the French Open near Paris. He has now claimed the Heritage Championship, the Volvo World Match Play Championship and the French title since the start of the year. Until that run began McDowell had gone three years without a win; he was able to share his latest one with his parents, who had travelled to France.
This season alone McDowell’s form his been curious. He has missed cuts at the PGA Championship, US Open, Irish Open, Players Championship, Northern Trust Open and the Masters. It is, therefore, impossible to read too much into his Open Championship hopes on the basis of his four-shot win at Le National.
It can surely be said, though, that he will arrive in East Lothian full of confidence. “It’s very special after the last couple of months,” McDowell said of his win, which earned him €500,000.
“It has been a bit of a battle. It has been a funny year. My game has not felt far away most weeks but I have missed a lot more cuts than normal and missing cuts hurts.
“It certainly motivated me a lot the last few weeks. The US Open was a tough one to take and missing the cut in Ireland last week; it made me more hungry to want to be in positions like I was this afternoon.”
McDowell’s final round of 67 was sufficient to see off the challenge of Richard Sterne. The pair had started the day tied at five under par and the South African had gained early impetus with a 15ft birdie at the 1st.
Yet Sterne could manage no better than a 71 in the end, due largely to a back nine of 38.
Graeme Storm and Eduardo de la Riva tied for third with Simon Dyson fifth and the Welshman Jamie Donaldson in a tie for sixth. Thomas Bjorn’s share of eighth will be enough to earn him a place in the British Open, courtesy of winning the mini order of merit route available to players in a series of events which ends with the French Open.
Ryder venue
Luke Donald was four shots worse off for the tournament after his closing round of 75. As he left he remarked that the course was the victor over him this week but he said Le National will represent a "special" venue when the Ryder Cup is held there in 2018.
McDowell agreed. "This is such a difficult course here, we may have one of the greatest Ryder Cup venues in European golf history in 2018," he said. "Anyone watching this week will get a sense for the matchplay drama this course is going to provide."
Guardian Service
