Here's to Graeme McDowell
A true blue non-American US Open Champion...
Here's to Graeme McDowell <clink>!
Not only is he the first European to win a US Open since Tony Jacklin in 1970, he's the first Irishman ever, an astonishing feat given that his name isn't Harrington or McIlroy. The Irish are getting to have a pretty strong golfing presence in the world, aren't they? Especially for a relatively small place.
Also, let's hear it for Gregory Havret <clink>! It's finally nice not to hear the word "choke" and "France" in the same breath, which has been the case ever since Jean van de Velde's finish in the 1999 British Open. I mean, sure, he blew a three shot lead on the last hole, but come on, it's been eleven years!!!
McDowell's playing partner was Dustin Johnson, who has won twice previously at Pebble Beach, and who is between forty and fifty yards longer off the tee than McDowell. During the third round, Johnson carded a 66, and was seemingly invincible. McDowell managed to learn to ignore his partner, which was exactly the right thing to do when the same partner started to melt down during the fourth round. I don't know which is harder -- to watch your companion bombing it 50 yards by you (round 3), or watch him hit snap hooks into the junk (round 4). McDowell weathered both, and managed to remember to play his own game, which turned out to be the only under-par score out there.
McDowell and Havret's performance is all the more remarkable when you look at the next four names on the leaderboard: Els, Woods, Mickelson, Love. These guys all know how to win a major, and they were all hovering right there waiting to capitalize on any mishaps, like Johnson's triple bogey early in the round. Sure, they all had troubles of their own, and you could argue that they're all feeling like the tournament was theirs for the taking. The point is that a complete meltdown ala Dustin Johnson would have been completely understandable given the intense pressure McDowell and Havret were under. Well, Havret was unable to convert a birdie putt on #18, (giving McDowell a chance to "bail out" and lay up) and McDowell had a bit of a stumble with a bogey on #17, but they certainly didn't melt down.
Kudos to both of them for stepping up and playing solid golf and providing gripping entertainment. Tiger may not be completely back on his "A game" yet, and Mickelson wasn't able to replicate his Master's magic, but Els and Love are showing they still have some game left, even while the young guns (Kim, Ishikawa, McIlroy, Johnson) are still gathering the requisite seasoning and experience. The game of golf is as exciting as ever. Don'you love it?
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