News that Graeme McDowell’s remarkable year has ended on the highest possible note in the form of recognition in the New year’s Honours List comes as no surprise to me.
The 31 year old from Northern Ireland receives an MBE at the conclusion of an outstanding season in which he became the first European in 40 years to capture the US Open Championship and secured the winning point for Europe in The 2010 Ryder Cup in Wales.
Having followed he European tour so closely, his achievements this year are even more remarkable.Graeme was always a solid and streaky little player with a knack of going low when he was on, but you can say that abut a lot of guys. This year and to a certain extent he and I would offer, Ian Poulter have moved into that class that breathes rarer air.
Few here paid any attention when he won the Celtic Manor Wales Open earlier this year, but importantly he gave him that confidence that is so important and also a win on the very 20/20 course that would provide his greatest moment later at the Ryder Cup...
He ended 40 years of disappointment at Pebble Beach in June when he became the first European winner of the US Open since Tony Jacklin in 1970. Jacklin, now portly and living in Florida has been dining out on that win ever since to give you some idea how big a deal McDowell's win is viewed in the UK and Ireland.
That would have been enough for most golfers but McDowell had much more in mind, namely the Race to Dubai as he won the Andalucia Valderrama Masters and played every week including swing through Asia as he hounded Martin Kaymer all the way to the final putt in Dubai..
It was his singles victory over Hunter Mahan in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor that was the defining moment of his year for me as that point brought The Ryder Cup back to Europe under the captaincy of Colin Montgomerie and ended a truly remarkable week. There is no greater pressure in all of sports than having the weight of your continent, your peers and the eyes of the world on you when you have to make the crucial putt at the Ryder Cup. He did, and did it repeatedly and that will stand up for him for the rest of his golf career.
His stuffing of Tiger on the final 2 greens at Tiger's Chevron World Challenge was just a little more icing on his cake !!
Amongst other honours he was named the joint winner of The Race to Dubai European Golfer of the Year title with Germany’s Martin Kaymer and winner of the annual awards from the Association of Golf Writers, the Golf Writers’ Association of America and the Irish Golf Writers.
He was also a candidate for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year, and he was named RTE Sportsperson of the Year in Ireland.
Whatever happens from here on in, McDowell's place in golfing lore is assured forever, especially in Europe, but I am sure he will use this 'dream year" as a springboard and will enter 2011 full of confidence that he is one of the world's elite, and will want to stay that way..
Next #2 Monty's men win the Ryder Cup
Bryan Angus
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