Golf TPC of Europe: Graeme McDowell hadn't exactly faded off the face of the earth, but - given the stellar impact he made last year, when winning a professional tournament in just his fourth outing - his form this season had been frustrating, to say the least.

It got to the stage where it was even suggested to McDowell, the 23-year-old former Walker Cup player, that he could choose between two of the game's best known swing doctors - Butch Harmon and David Leadbetter - in an attempt to cure whatever ills had befallen him. Calls would be made, and either would be only too happy to take him on.

After all, he'd racked up title after title in the amateur game, moving to number one on the US college circuit, prior to moving to the paid ranks. Everyone knew he had the temperament, and the ability to close out a tournament. Who wouldn't want to nurture such talent? But things hadn't got that bad, in fact; and McDowell decided not to go with either of golf's top coaches.

Instead, he made the trip across the Atlantic to Eric Eschelman, a coach who knew his swing from his college days in Alabama, and also brought Tristan Mullaly, the assistant professional at Royal Portrush, with him - "he just knows everything about my swing," admitted the player - to make an input. "Now I'm glad that I didn't go for any major changes," he insisted.

His season to date had been extremely frustrating, featuring three missed cuts from six tournaments on the European Tour and two missed cuts from three on the US Tour. "My game never went away, it just wasn't where I wanted it to be," claimed McDowell. "I probably achieved my goals way too quickly last season and just didn't reset them."

Yesterday, it all came right - and McDowell, winner of last year's Scandinavian Masters, put himself where he wants to be in a tournament . . . in contention! McDowell followed up his opening round 70 with a more impressive 65 to move to nine-under-par 265, four shots behind leader Padraig Harrington and into a four-way tie for third place.

Part of the reason for McDowell's regeneration was to switch back to a trusty old putter that had served him well in his college days. "It was gathering dust in the attic," he said, of the blade that he last used when winning the Atlanta Intercollegiate last year prior to turning professional. "I was actually 19-under-par in winning that tournament. I wonder why I ever stopped using the putter," he mused. "I felt it was time to go back to what had worked in the past."

McDowell, you feel, is a player who responds to the big time. Put him in a pressure situation, and he responds. Give him the lead in a tournament, and he invariably closes it out. He has a champion's instinct. On the 18th green yesterday, he rolled in a 45-footer for a closing birdie and you could feel the adrenalin rush. "I like the buzz, the atmosphere of the big tournaments," he said.

As McDowell walked up the 17th fairway yesterday, he was forced to stop and wait before advancing to his ball which had finished in a fairway bunker. The problem is that some other player was 40 yards off-line in the middle of the 17th, preparing to play a shot to the 15th. That player was Tiger Woods and the stance, arms folded, adopted by McDowell showed that it is in events like this that he belongs.

"The European Tour has changed a lot in the last 10 years. It is great to see so many young players coming along and it is a boost when someone like Paul Casey wins last week; it shows we can play. I've worked hard on my game and I'm playing well and feel that I am in a good position for the weekend," said McDowell.