Europe’s ‘pitbull’ ready to bare his teeth

Analysis of Graeme McDowell, even by the man himself, can appear slightly unfair. The Northern Irishman is routinely portrayed as a scrapping, workman-like player with a core talent way below some of his peers. This is Graeme McDowell, the major champion and two-times Ryder Cup player who has claimed titles on both sides of the Atlantic. Not an eight-handicapper who nicks the odd club medal by holing a series of putts on a good day.

Self-deprecation seems to suit McDowell just fine. As he prepares for a third Ryder Cup appearance, at Medinah, McDowell reflects on the sentiment of Europe’s captain.

Jose Mara Olazbal is said to have pointed to McDowell’s “pitbull” tendencies as a compliment — the 33-year-old is not the type to let go of an opponent’s ankle should he get hold of it. “Pitbull? Rottweiler? That could just be about my face,” McDowell says, smiling.

“I grew up playing a lot of matchplay in Ireland. To me, it is a criticism of the golfing union structure there that we don’t play more strokeplay, but in many ways it was beneficial, as well, in my younger days because it helped to mould my personality into that pitbull-type player.

“I am not a top pedigree racehorse like a Rory McIlroy. Things come easy to a guy like that, he has talent coming out of his ears. A guy like myself has to dig it out a little more and maximise my game in other areas. I have always been a great putter, always been a very straight driver of the ball. I try to make the rest of the stuff work. Having a great short game, being a great putter, is always a massive weapon when it comes to matchplay.”

As, of course, is mental strength. “I try to be dogged down a stretch,” McDowell adds. “Hitting towering two-irons and other shots that these pedigree racehorses can hit is very difficult to do when the pressure is on. I’m not sure if it’s the type of game that I have, if it’s the matchplay thing, but it’s not a bad way to be described. I could be described as worse.

“Do I wish I had the talent of some of the other guys? Absolutely I do but I have got what I’ve got and I try to make it work as best I can. I feel like I have the tools to be a great match player and I have always enjoyed the matchplay element of the game.”

What can be said without fear of contradiction is that McDowell genuinely relishes the Ryder Cup. He famously holed the putt that secured the trophy for Europe at Celtic Manor in 2010, an occasion he later described as more important than his US Open win of the same year. “They are such different entities,” McDowell says.

“The US Open is such an individual achievement. I practiced all those lonely hours on the range with my team behind me; caddie, coach, management team, my folks. Everyone who worked personally with me, I shared that victory with.

“The Ryder Cup has such a different dynamic. To see 40-50,000 on that hill, all pulling for the boys in blue. Teammates, caddies, wives and girlfriends, European Tour officials, you share that victory with everyone who calls themselves European and everyone who has an affinity with the European Tour. You share that emotion with your team.

“You go through every emotion that week; highs, lows, bad sessions, great sessions. It is just a special dynamic. The pressure that I felt those last six or seven holes two years ago was so magnified compared to the US Open.

“I am staring right at the US Open trophy in my living room as I speak. That will forever be my personal greatest achievement in the game. I will never ever win my first major championship again. That was very personal, very individual. The Ryder Cup was such a team effort. I guess I felt very honoured to be the guy who had the opportunity to hole the winning putt, for what was such a huge team effort that week.”

As a graduate of the University of Alabama — McDowell was based in the state’s largest city, Birmingham — and a current resident of Orlando, an away fixture with the United States will hold no fears.