In the words of song writer Marc Cohn Graeme McDowell tees-up in this week’s FedEx St. Jude Classic looking to walk tall in the ‘Land of the Delta Blues’.
McDowell was seemingly intent on taking a fortnight’s break from competition following his top-30 finish at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.
That would have meant spending a fortnight on the range at Lake Nona but instead McDowell has elected to return to the sauna-like conditions set to greet competitors teeing-up on the TPC Southwind course in Memphis.
G Mac touched down this week in the ‘Land of the Delta Blues’.
It is McDowell’s fifth appearance in Elvis Presley’s home town but his best result since a share of seventh on debut in 2009, and with organisers grouping McDowell with Johnson and double US Open winner, Retief Goosen.
Six years ago, Johnson went into the final Pebble Beach round leading McDowell by three shots but then posted a last day 82 and end five adrift of McDowell.
However McDowell is more focussed on getting back into winning form and just a week out from teeing-up in the U.S. Open at Oakmont.
“It’s always great to come back to Memphis as there is a lot of good things about this tournament for me,” he said.
“I like the golf course a lot and it sets up for my style of game where a lot of accuracy required off the tee, and coming into these very tricky greens.
“I’ve had two top 25s here in the past, probably should have done better in both, but I guess when it comes to preparing for major championships, there are various ways you can do it.
“You can try and simulate the type of conditions that you’re going to find the following week.
“The Houston Open tries to do that, and the way the U.S. Open jumps around it’s very difficult to have a solid warm‑up venue the week before, so you’ve kind of got to take the rough with the smooths some weeks.
“So some years coming here to Memphis as I have is going to be a great preparation and some years maybe not so much.
“But then going into a Major Championship as we are next week, obviously preparing and playing the golf course and having your game plan together is key, but being competitively sharp, feeling confident that you are playing well, those are just as important.
“I do feel like my game is turning the corner, and coming here to Memphis and teeing it up and getting some competitive sharpness was one of the kind of keys for me.”
