US Open: Graeme McDowell insists he is no tourist at Pebble Beach
Last Updated: 11/06/19 9:59pm
Graeme McDowell returns to the scene of his greatest triumph this week insisting he is not at the US Open to "take the views in" at Pebble Beach.
McDowell claimed his only major victory on the west coast in 2010 - finishing one shot clear of Gregory Havret - but having secured his place at Royal Portrush and The Open with a top-10 finish at the Canadian Open last week, he is determined to put on a good show at a place that holds special memories.
"It goes without saying, I won once around here, I obviously feel like my game suits this golf course," he said. "And I'm certainly not here to take the views in as much as I'm here to compete. And looking forward to competing."
McDowell, who ended a four-year winless run on the PGA Tour with a narrow victory in the Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship in March, will play alongside Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson for the first two days this week and he admits he is relieved his form has improved ahead of such a high-profile grouping.
"I think four or five months ago, if you'd have told me you're on the first tee with Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson this week at the US Open, where my game was or where my confidence level was, I would have been very intimidated," he added.
"The last three or four months, with the victory and some good finishes, and starting to kind of put myself under the gun a few times and getting the juices flowing again, confidence is one of these very fragile things. It certainly goes away a lot quicker than it comes back.
"It's certainly been a slower process than I imagined getting the confidence back. It is coming.
"I come into this week feeling very good about my game, looking forward to the challenge of teeing it up with two great players on Thursday and Friday, and trying to dissect this golf course and get myself in position to hopefully be able to compete this weekend."
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