G-Mac hungry for Portrush sizzler
Graeme McDowell would put an Irish Open win on a par with his US Open or Ryder Cup victory. Picture Fran Caffrey www.newsfile.ieGraeme McDowell wants to produce a sizzling Irish Open performance after swearing off his Mum’s Ulster fry this week.
The Portrush star is staying with his parents but he’s being careful to stay in competitive mode and steer clear of the bacon and sausage breakfast.
The hometown boy wants to stay focussed, win for his fans and then launch “a pretty kick-ass party somewhere in town on Sunday night.”
Daring to dream of an Irish Open win, G-Mac said: “It would be one of the most special moments of my career, right up there with winning at Pebble and the putt at Celtic Manor. It will be buzzing on Sunday afternoon if an Irishman had a chance to win here and it will be a lot of fun.
“It’s got emotional value, as opposed to financial or stature or any of these things. It means a lot; pride, and emotion, and like I say, winning in front of my family and friends and my home fans.
McDowell is relishing his home comforts this week and staying focussed on the job at hand.
“It’s like being in a hotel but the food is better,” he said. “My mum is feeding me up but I have to refuse the sausages and bacon in the morning. It is hard to do.
“One of the best things about coming home is the Ulster fry in the morning. I landed about half nine on Monday morning and it was on the table for me when I got home abut half ten.
“That’s kind of why I have to battle the waist line when I come back to Northern Ireland. Fried food and pints of Guinness are not good for the waist line.”
The Ryder Cup star is steering clear of his favourite wine bar this week to concentrate on winning a title he rates as just a notch below a Major or a World Golf Championship.
Like Andy Murray at Wimbledon, he feels pressure to perform at home but badly wants to contend for the title.
He said: “I just thinking how difficult it is for him going to Wimbledon every year, but I suppose he’s used to it.
“The Irish Open always brings a sense of pressure and a sense of expectation from the crowds.
“We joke about it being the fifth major, but any Irish player would be very proud to have the Irish Open on his CV to win in front of home fans is a very special thing.
“That’s just kind of exaggerated even more this week, being in my home town, on a golf course that I’ve grown up on and theoretically know fairly well. There’s added pressure.
“That’s why I’m a very motivated to try and get out of the gates the next couple of days and get into contention early this week.
“It would be very easy to just kind of get lost in the whole emotion of it all and just to kind of enjoy the craic.
“I want to enjoy it, yes, but enjoy the business end of things on Saturday afternoon and Sunday afternoon.”