In a season when Rory McIlroy captured some of the game’s greatest individual honours, Graeme McDowell deserves recognition for what he achieved in a team environment.

Of course, McDowell continued to cement his credentials as one of Europe’s best storming to a repeat victory in the prestigious French Open along with collecting 10 other top-10s in 22 events both sides of the Atlantic.

And while there was the reward of a third straight Ryder Cup winning cap those who delve deep into the in’s and outs’ of the Gleneagles showdown against the Americans will be note the role McDowell played in Europe’s victory.

It’s not that McDowell won all three matches but the manner in dealing with a task assigned to him in taking rookie Victor Dubuisson under his wing and steering the young Frenchman through the fire in both Foursomes encounters.

Then after having skilfully achieved that goal McDowell accepted the task of leading out Europe on the final day.   He duly delivered the team the very first Singles point but unselfishly didn’t bask in the limelight but dropped back in the field to seek out Dubuisson to walk with him right to the very end of what was the very last Singles match.

And it’s this unheralded role McDowell accepted at Gleneagles he hopes now could lead to back-page grabbing individual headlines in 2015.

“It was the first time I’ve played in a Ryder Cup and asked to be something more than just a player,” said McDowell.

“I was asked to be more of a leader not only to Victor but asked to lead the team off on Sunday morning so for the first time ever in a Ryder Cup the captain had a huge amount of belief in me.

“In 2010 I was the US Open champion I went off last but that was more winning a Major that fed into giving me a role but this year there was not a huge basis for asking me do anything but just because of the player I have become and that’s like a seasoned campaigner.

“So at this year’s Ryder Cup it was like I had become a fighter and that gave me a huge amount of belief and that was pretty cool given a guy like Paul McGinley had so much thinking about the Ryder Cup, and captain of a team with 12 different personalities to juggle, and he had selected me as a leader.

“That was very much a realisation for me that I had come a long way in this sport and it was a big part of my renewed motivation to do more.

“And it’s a motivation I want to take into 2015 and hopefully translate it into further success.”

This past season was in fact McDowell’s 13^th year in the pro ranks and whether or not he’s superstitious he can look back on the year as being considerable lucky.

His season commenced on 9^th February at Pebble Beach on the American west coast with a round of 71 in PGA Tour’s AT & T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

His year ended last Saturday on the American east coast holing a ‘cheeky’ 25-foot birdie putt in the Greg Norman hosted Franklin Templeton Shootout on the Tiburon Country Club course in Naples, Florida.

In between McDowell contested the four Majors, four WGCs, four regular European Tour events, eight regular PGA events and also teed-up in Tiger Woods Hero World Challlenge.

Team-wise McDowell competed in the inaugural EurAsia Cup and was a member on a third straight Ryder Cup victorious European Team.

He also became a father for the time, and with daughter Vale being born 25^th August, 2014.

What also delighted McDowell was the statistical side of his season. Not only was his European Tour ‘Stroke Average’ the second best season of his career but on the PGA Tour he topped the ‘Strokes gained in Putting’ stats.

On the European Tour McDowell’s ‘Stroke Average’ was 70.38 and his second lowest since competing full time in 2002, and just .29 of a point more than his best season in 2010 when he claimed the US Open Championship along with enjoying two other victories, two seconds and four more top-10s.

“Statistics in professional golf have evolved so much and they are getting better and better each year and I continue to use an England-based firm www.strokeaverage.com that involves my caddy, Ken filling in a very complicated stats sheet at the end of every round,” he said.

“And stats are one of those things and the better the information you input the better you are going to come out at the end.

“I know my stats have got better and better through ‘Shot Link’ on the PGA Tour and I managed to lead ‘Strokes gained in Putting’ which was very pleasing.”

But with the festive season upon us the only stats concerning McDowell is the amount of time he gets to put his feet up in his palatial Lake Nona abode and sharing the duties with wife, Kristen in looking after their near four-month old daughter, Vale.

And while McDowell will surely find his way to the Lake Nona practice range he’s changing his New Year scheduling plans for a first time in four years and starting a new season at the Dubai Desert Classic.

For the past two seasons McDowell has commenced a New Year well into February including this year at Pebble Beach and 2013 at the WGC – Accenture Match-Play Championship.

And when he’s started his regular European Tour campaign in recent years it’s been in Abu Dhabi but that will change in 2015 with McDowell starting some one hour’s drive north from the UAE capital at the Emirates Club.

As well, McDowell has added the 2015 Maybank Malaysian Open title to his schedule and will be competing in Malaysia for a first occasion since 2008.

McDowell will not commence his PGA Tour year to much later at the February 26^th starting Honda Classic at Palm Beach Gardens in Florida and in another first McDowell will enter the March 26^th starting Valero Texas Open in San Antonio.

It will be only McDowell’s second tournament appearance in the Lone Star State after competing in the 2012 Shell Houston Open.

“I’ve had one eye on my 2015 schedule for the past couple of months including things I need to do also technically and physically to get myself ready for the New Year,” he said.

“So in many ways while I’m not playing again to the last few days of January I already well on top of 2015 with Dubai a great place to kick start my tournament year while the Malaysian Open will be great physically and mentally.

“I’ll then take two weeks off and great ready for the start of the ‘Florida Swing’ at the Honda Classic.”

However tournament golf will the least aspect on McDowell’s mind as he prepares for a first Christmas as a father.

“My main focus over the Christmas period is resting and I’ve got five weeks off with no travelling, no tournaments nothing,” he said.

“I will be at home with the family and basically recharging the batteries and won’t go getting the clubs out of the garage until after Christmas.

“Besides I saw enough good things towards the end of this season to be able to take away a lot of good positives into my off-season.”

AN OVERVIEW OF MCDOWELL’S 2014 SEASON

 Successful defence of the French Open. His 10th European Tour success and the 13^th of his pro career.

A fourth straight Ryder Cup appearance and a member of the winning 2010, ’12 and ’14 European Team.

European Tour career money: Euro 17,967,084.

Best finish in a Major: T9th British Open, Royal Liverpool, England.

Best finish in a WGC: T3rd WGC – HSBC Champions, Sheshan, China.

Best regular 2014 PGA Tour event finish: T7th AT & T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

Biggest prize cheque: Euro 500,000 (1^st Place French  Open).

Smallest prize cheque: Euro 7,214.60 (Missed cut Masters)

Scoring Average: European Tour -70.38;  PGA Tour – 70.21 (ranked 20^th)

2014 PGA Tour stats: Total Putts Made – 1^st; Putts from 20-25 feet – (Ranked – 1st) ;  No of Eagles – 69 (ranked 6th); No of Birdies – 224 (Ranked 136^th).

2014 European Tour stats: Putts per round 28.9 (ranked 20^th); Driving distance average 276.7 yards (ranked 159^th), Greens in Regulation – 12.4 (ranked 68^th)