For a second week in succession an Irish-born Major Champion has closed shut the book on an uneventful season and already looking forward to starting a fresh page in the New Year. (Bernie McGuire in Bangkok)
A week after after Padraig Harrington described his year as ‘a year not to remember’ and Graeme McDowell admitted he was far too hard on himself this season and ‘wanting too badly’ a repeat of his glorious dream of 2010.
Graeme McDowell goes from the high of U.S. Open and Ryder Cup success a year ago to without a win in 2011
McDowell walked from the Earth Course last Sunday kissing girlfriend, Kristin and then shaking hands with officials and friends, wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, but also eager to return home to Orlando and six weeks away from golf.
After reigning supreme at Pebble Beach and then enjoying the honor of holing the winning putt at the Ryder Cup, McDowell went without success this season and with his best results being three European Tour third place results and also a third two weeks ago in the Nedbank Challenge in South Africa.
McDowell ended the Race to Dubai in 16th place while his current 13th place World Ranking is seven spots higher than sixth at the end of 2010.
And asked to rate his season out of 10, McDowell marked himself a 6 ½.
“The start of the year was about a three or four but over the last few months I’d say it was back to about a six-and-a-half out of 10,” he said.
“My game has been simmering nicely the last three to four months but then the game was still not giving me that much either.
“When you live two dreams like I did in the space of five months, you never really anticipate living our dreams but looking back on 2011 was a big ask after what I achieved in 2010.
But having to deal with all the goes with being a Major winner I feel as though I’ve had a positive last four to five months of the season which is great.
“This year has been a real learning experience for me as I’ve learned a lot about myself and learned a lot about what it is to be a top player in the world, and being a Major Champion and how to deal with that and how to deal with being busier.
“But in looking back on my year I’ve probably been too quick to get frustrated and disappointed with myself and not give myself enough credit where credit is due.
“I’ve beat myself up a lot this year because I expected so much of myself after my success in 2010.
'G Mac' has maintained a great demeanour throughout 2011.
“But then I know I can’t go judging myself too hard as last year was a special year.
“I came out at the start of this year trying not to do beat myself up and it’s just human instinct and you have to get through that.
“Technically, I’ve hit the ball well this year and over the last few months I have understood my swing a lot more.
“It was like the early part of the season I was too distracted and I could not get my head around my golf but since August I have managed to stream line it and strip out all the crap so much so that I end the year feeling as though I have more control over the ball.
“So it’s been a very steep learning curve this year.”
But in being totally honest as McDowell has been ever since bursting onto the Tour in 2002, he admitted that he will not do anything different in 2012 with the one exception of adding the Shell Houston Open to his schedule.
“My schedule will be pretty damn similar but hopefully with a lot less attention I had as being the U.S. Open up until June this year,” he said.
“I am looking forward to the start of the New Year and I am very, very happy to end my season with a lot of positives in the tank.
“I’m walking away from 2011 feeling so much better about myself than I was at the start of the year.
“Panic is the wrong word but I certainly wasn’t enjoying my golf early on this year and it wasn’t giving me anything and if anything, it was kicking me, and kicking me hard a few times this year.
“So looking back my expectations was just way too high.”
“But there is no substitute for winning and winning breeds winning, and just like confidence breeds confidence.
“I finish third in Sun City and that did wonders for my confidence, and that confidence goes into the tank and that’s what we need.
McDowell says he will venture home to Portrush to spend Christmas with his family and is looking likely to commence 2012 back in the UAE and in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship where he commenced 2011 with a third place finish.
“I was hoping my new house will be fully ready by the New Year so it might not be a bad time to get out of Orlando and head to Dubai for a few days practice with Pete (Cowen –coach) and then head up to Abu Dhabi,” he said.
“I will play Abu Dhabi and the Qatar Masters and then head back to Florida.
“So it the feet will be up for a few weeks enjoying a few beers, enjoy Christmas and then it will be head down and back into business early in the New Year.
”And I will be ready to stoke up the fire and get back to winning golf tournaments again.”
