McDowell's jet out of jail card

Pete Cowen had to bail his caddie out of jail during the 1979 Open at Royal Lytham and St Annes.Getting out Lytham’s bunkers is tougher than breaking out of Alcatraz.

But Graeme McDowell is hoping he avoids a repeat of the 1979 Open when his short game coach had to bail his caddie out of JAIL just to play the final round.

Sheffield ace Pete Cowen, who coaches McDowell and world No 3 Lee Westwood, finished 36th behind Seve Ballesteros in the 1979 Open at Royal Lytham.

But while he earned a cheque for £600, Cowen LOST money on the week after his caddie was nicked by police for non-payment of traffic fines.

Cowen chuckled: “I got £600 and I was staying in a B&B in Blackpool. One of the reasons why I lost money was I had to bail my caddie out of jail on Saturday night.

“There was a mobile police station down the road there and they collared him for his non-payment of fines so I had to go and pay his fines to get him out to play the last round.

“I can’t remember how much it was but it was a good few quid.

“He’s passed away now.  They were fines for little things that just built up. One of the caddies told me he’d been nicked.”

McDowell has one of the best caddies in the business in Ken Comboy but he’s got no worries on that score.

McDowell joked: “I’ve never had to do it - yet!”