Graeme McDowell (AFP)
What a difference a year has made for Ulsterman Graeme McDowell as he fine-tunes his game for a fourth tilt at the Masters.
What a difference a year has made for Ulsterman Graeme McDowell as he fine-tunes his game for a fourth tilt at the Masters.
Twelve months ago, he came into Augusta National for the first of the year's four majors short of form and clinging onto a place in the game's top 50, the qualifying standard for the tournament.
All that changed in the course of an extraordinary summer when he became the first European winner of the US Open since Tony Jacklin in 1970 and then went on in October to play a key role in Europe's Ryder Cup triumph.
Finally, in December, he gave Tiger Woods a four-shot start in the final round of the Chevron World Challenge in California and beat him in a play-off.
Even the world number one spot has reared into view for a player who has suddenly emerged as a world-class talent.
Asked what he had most discovered about himself over the course of the last 12 months, McDowell replied: "Probably that I'm good enough.
"I've never really been blessed with a talent of a Rory McIlroy or a Tiger Woods or a Sergio Garcia or somebody like that.
"I've always had to work hard at my game. Things always came a little more difficult for me than other guys.
"I guess 2010 proved to me that I'm good enough. I know where I can go with my game and I guess what last year told me is that I'm on the right path, and you know, if I can put things together on the right weeks, that I'm good enough to win the big tournaments."
Next up for McDowell is getting to grips with Augusta National.
He has played in three Masters tournaments and made the cut only once, in 2009, when he did finish as top European, but in a lowly 17th-place tie.
It's not that he feels his game is unsuited to the course or that he finds the pressure too much, McDowell says, it's just that it takes time and patience to work out how best to play it.
"When I came here in 2005, it was like, I mean, are you kidding me, how did I get around this place," he said.
"I played with (Ben) Crenshaw that year ironically and he showed me how to putt the greens.
"I've got a pretty good bank of memories now and plenty of good lines in my books and I have a pretty good knowledge base now."
McDowell will set out in Thursday's first round in the company of Woods and Australia's Robert Allenby, ensuring huge galleries, but he says that will not pose him problems.
"I feel like I've played with him enough now to where it's pretty normal I guess," he said.
"I've got to go and play my own game Thursday, Friday and let him play his game.
"Once you get used to the whole buzz that surrounds him, especially inside the ropes, once you get your head around that, it's pretty normal.
"I would have been intimidated a couple of years ago but nowadays it's reasonably normal.
"I was expecting to get a draw somewhere along those lines this week."
As an added incentive, McDowell knows that he is one of six players in the draw who can end the week as world No. 1 which he agreed "would be nice."
© 2011 AFP/sid
