The Doc Speaks: Federer and McDowell

Bloggy Underfoot: Federer and McDowell I remember years ago watching Roger Federer win Junior Wimbledon. I rang Paddy Power and asked for...

Bloggy Underfoot: Federer and McDowell

I remember years ago watching Roger Federer win Junior Wimbledon. I rang Paddy Power and asked for odds that Roger would win four Men’s Titles. I was quoted 100/1 but never bothered placing a bet. As Charlie McCreevy once said of a budget “Sure hindsight is 20/20 vision”. Around the same time if you asked me which of the new breed of GB&I golfers would win a Major in the future, I would have said, either David Howell or Graeme McDowell. Both had solid if unspectacular games, but both also seemed to possess that strength of character and self belief that is needed to cross the line in a Major.

The years passed and with David Howell’s spine resembling a train wreck, he has for the most part swapped his driver for a microphone. As for McDowell, until last week I thought his performance in the Major’s had been rather disappointing. The bookies agreed, sending him off at 80/1, though he won last time out in spectacular style at the Celtic Manor Wales Open. Using McCreevy’s hindsight theory, shouldn’t we all have known Graeme was going to win.

The manner of McDowell’s victory, was, in my opinion, one of the best I have witnessed. There was no sign of an asterix on the trophy. There were no excuses to be made for Tiger or Phil or Ernie. All three were on the leaderboard with McDowell and he beat them fair and square. Don’t think for a second either that Tiger had not prepared; trust me his build-up was akin to “Franc” getting ready for a wedding.

Add into the mix the fact that McDowell’s playing partner Dustin Johnson committed the golfing equivalent of hari-kiri on the opening holes. Dramatics, lost balls and rulings for Johnson left McDowell standing arms folded on the fairway for a momentum wrecking eternity. How this did not drag down the Rathmore man, I will never know. Perhaps Johnson’s travails in some way diffused the tension for Graeme; Conor Ridge his manager had discussed before the round with McDowell the strategy of adopting the persona of a shark about to attack during the final round, stealthily gliding along below the surface, ready to deal the deadly blow at the perfect moment.

So here we are having watched Graeme McDowell win first at fifteen under in Wales and then at level par in a US Open. I’m off to ring Paddy Power again. What odds on four McDowell Majors? I wont miss out a second time!

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