While Graeme McDowell was in awe of Niagara Falls he is feeling right at ease on Oak Hill and venue for this week’s PGA Championship in suburban Rochester.
McDowell along with his father, Kenny and fiancée Kristin travelled yesterday (TUES) the near hour’s drive to Niagara Falls where some 600,000 US gallons spectacularly pour over the 170-foot high Canadian or ‘Horseshoe’ Falls every second.
However the former US Open champ had his feet firmly on the ground in earlier playing a nine-hole practice round in the company of fellow Irishman Darren Clarke on the Oak Hill course.
McDowell got his first look at Oak Hill a week ago before heading south to Akron, Ohio for the WGC – Bridgestone Invitational and in the seven days he’s notice a huge change in the make-up of the course.
Graeme McDowell signing commenorative flags after his practice round. (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)
“The golf course is tougher than it was a week ago when I was up here with the rough, the first cut after the semi, has grown a good inch since a week ago and now it’s pretty tough but it’s a good set-up and the fairways and greens have a bounce to them.
“You have to hit it in the fairway this week and the guy who hits the most greens will probably win the tournament or probably come damn close.
“But it’s very difficult around the greens and while guys like Phil (Mickelson) may cope, it is incredibly difficult in places around the greens and you have to be smart and leave it in the right places and you have got to just scramble well and take the opportunities this course will give you.
“You will have wedge in your hand at least half-a-dozen times so there will be opportunities for birdies but you will make bogeys.
“So you just have to manage your game well.”
McDowell has been drawn to play the first two rounds alongside Ernie Els and American Bill Haas in what the PGA of America described as ‘Glory’s Last Shot’.
However it seems the PGA Tour leaned on the PGA of America to change the catch line so as not to detract from the FedEx Cup Play-Off Series.
So until the PGA of America come up with a better catch-line it’s now – ‘The Season’s Last Major’.
And while all of the pressure is on Tiger Woods to end a five-year Majors victory drought, McDowell is comfortable, and to use that horrible Americanism, ‘fly under the radar’ at Oak Hill.
“There was an expectation level on me at Merion, but I wouldn’t blame that for my poor performance at all,” he said.
“That was a lack of play, a little underprepared and what not. I’m very prepared coming in this week and I’m feeling very relaxed to give it a shot.
“So it’s nice to be a dark horse this week.
“I have probably been this relaxed before, but I think I have a decent amount of belief that if I can get on the board this week I can give myself a chance.
“I feel like I have been in decent shape going into all three of the previous three majors this year and I haven’t done the job.
“I have worked hard on my technique the last couple of weeks with Pete (Cowen – coach) the last few weeks, streamlining my technique, getting them back on track, trusting what I am doing, and like I say haven’t hit it my best the last three months and all and I feel like I am getting back to where I was little bit more, Hilton Head, at the start of the year, where I played pretty solidly.”
Also while it will be eight months till McDowell then returns to Augusta for next April’s Masters he does not feel the need to raise his level of expectation or anticipation as he seeks to capture a second Major.
“No my expectation or anticipation level is no different going into any of the Majors but this week does have a finality to it this week”, he admitted.
“It’s amazing when the PGA comes around, it signals you’re three quarters of the way through the golf season. It doesn’t feel like we’ve started long and here we are at the US PGA, and it’s mad how time flies.”
