Graeme McDowell heads into his wedding this coming weekend a winner after capturing the head-to-head ‘Match at Cabot Links’ against the top-ranked Canadian Graham DeLaet.

The pair went head-to-head in a made-for-TV encounter at Cabot Links in Inverness, Nova Scotia, Canada.

The current World No. 11 ranked McDowell was right at home in the wet and cold conditions shooting a five under par 67.

“When I opened my curtains in my hotel room this morning, it honestly made me feel like I was at home on the north coast of Ireland,” said McDowell.

Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell and Canada’s Graham DeLaet gather at Cabot Links first tee. (Hal Higgins/CBC)

“It’s got quite the Scottish-Irish feel to it, very authentic links, looks the part, very tough to replicate this type of links.”

Despite his loss, the Saskatchewan-born DeLaet also enjoyed the occasion in front of spectators who paid $90 each to watch the action.

“We hit our tee shots on eleven, it was down wind. We turned around and the wind came straight back at us. That’s links golf, you never really know,” says DeLaet.

The match-up was mostly for fun, but it is a coup for the Cabot Links and just barely a year old, and Canada’s only true links course is already rated among the world’s top 100.

“We have high expectations and I think…we hoped we would reach them eventually,” says Cabot Links owner-operator Ben Cowan-Dewar. “I think, to be able to do so much in our first year has been extremely pleasing for us and I think we’ll continue to hopefully build on that.”

Which golfer has the home course advantage is really up for debate. DeLaet is playing on home soil, but McDowell learned the game on links courses while growing up in Northern Ireland.

“Graham’s probably the man on form right now,” says McDowell. “He had a great finish at the Fed-Ex Cup last week, but hopefully my links background will stand me in good stead.”

No matter who wins, it is a victory for golf fans in the Inverness area.

“It don’t get any better than this. This is what it’s all about,” says Donnie MacLellan. “This is going to bring people to Inverness because they say, if these guys can come and play here, we want to see what this is all about.”

Cape Breton is already considered a traveler’s mecca for golf but the high-profile matchup has some wondering if the Cabot Links could one day host a PGA event.

“We’d love to see more great events coming to this part of the world, I mean, Canada has a very rich golf history and it would be great to see big crowds and big exposure for a golf course of this quality and there’s absolutely no reason why not,” says McDowell.

The Inverness golf scene is continuing to grow as a sister course, Cabot Cliffs, is set to open in 2015.