Graeme McDowell has won one Major on the west coast of America and now after getting a first look at Kiawah Island he’s looking at PGA Championship glory next week along the Atlantic east coast shoreline.
McDowell played a practice round Tuesday on next week’s South Carolina host venue before jetting into Akron, Ohio for tomorrow’s starting $US 8.5m WGC – Bridgestone Invitational being staged again on the Firestone Country Club course.
Graeme McDowell now looking to add an East Coast PGA Championship success to his U.S. Open West Coast victory.
Kiawah Island holds a special place in the hearts of Irish golf fans being the 1997 venue of Ireland’s historic World Cup success when Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley brilliantly teamed to bring the Emerald Isle its first-ever success in the event.
Four years later, Europe went down by a point in the Ryder Cup that has since been dubbed – ‘The War On The Shore’.
McDowell will return to the Pete Dye designed layout next week looking for ‘Glory On The Shore’.
“We got in here to Akron about 8pm last night (Tuesday) but the decision to play Kiawah Island earlier in the day was time very well spent,” he said.
“I just liked the look of the golf course so much.
“The front nine is very playable but the back nine has some yardage to it and we played the inward nine in about a 15 to 20mph southerly breeze.
“And after two inches of rain on the Monday it was playing very long but it’s a good test of golf.
“There is a good links feel to it and the fairways are beautiful Paspalum grass where the ball sits up and you can really create a lot of spin.”
And while McDowell’s primary focus is in Akron, his results this year at the game’s highest suggest his pre-Majors build-up has translated into everything but capturing a second Major Championship victory.
McDowell was 12th in the Masters, runner-up in the U.S. Open and went within a whisker of following fellow Ulsterman Darren Clarke in being handed the Claret Jug before ending fifth.
“The Majors have been good to me this year and that’s why I am excited about next week and it would nice to finish the season in glory,” he said.
“The thing about the PGA Championship is that it probably doesn’t get the recognition it deserves being a Major.
“It might not have the history and tradition as the other three but in many ways it has the deepest field and the toughest field, and the best field of the year as far as the Major Championships are concerned.
“And the good aspect for me over these next two weeks is that the Ryder Cup is a full lock for me now and I’m assured of qualifying.
“So it will be to tee up these two weeks and then go into the FedEx Cup Series knowing that place in the European Team is assured.”
McDowell begins his Bridgestone quest at 2pm Wednesday local time in the company of American Brandt Snedeker.
