Graeme McDowell always said that if he won a major “you won”t see me for a month,” while he savoured every second of the experience but the party”s over just three weeks after his triumph in the US Open at Pebble Beach.
The Northern Irishmen returns to the Barclays Scottish Open he won in 2008 with his “business head” back on after a succession of celebrations to mark his victory in California and a reception from friends and well-wishers.
“Unbelievable is a word I’ve used a lot,” he said.
“There’s been a couple of good nights at home in Ireland with my family, in Orlando with friends and elsewhere, the sun was up with us still drinking champagne out of the trophy, put it that way.
“But it’s such an important part of the season, two more majors coming up, St Andrews next week I’m playing five of the next six weeks and I have to be ready to go.
“I’ve won round here and know I can play well here, and it’s time to shake the rust out of the system.
“I’m going to be practising very hard this week, with an eye on next week as well, and the parties and celebrations will be kept to a bare minimum.”
McDowell’s success has headlined a magnificent month for the European game, with Justin Rose blazing a trail with two victories in the US, most of Colin Montgomerie’s Ryder Cup candidates in fine fettle and the expectation levels rising.
Monty, speaking yesterday about relishing the chance to see McDowell play again, said he believed the rise of European golf was in direct response to Padraig Harrington’s run of three major wins inside 13 months, and McDowell readily agrees with that.
“Watching a guy you practise and play with win does something to the mentality,” he said.
“Padraig wasn’t a world-class ball striker he always had the mental capability and short game, but when you see a guy work as hard as he has and win three majors it gives everyone belief, because there are plenty guys out here who think they are more talented than Padraig as far as ball-striking and tee-to-green.
“It’ll work as a reaction to me winning as well.
“I played with Rory (McIlroy) at Royal County Down last week and I’ve never seen a guy so excited.
“He now believes he can win majors quickly and he can’t wait for next week.”
For himself, however, McDowell’s enthusiasm is slightly tempered as he knows some might believe that his win was a one-off.
“I’m sure I’ve surprised some people, but I hope not everyone,” he said.
“I think some people know enough about my game to understand that Pebble wasn’t a fluke from my point of view.
“I read Michael Campbell (US Open winner in 2003) quoted ‘They teach you how to reach the summit of Everest, but no one tells you how to get back down again’, and that’s a great way of putting it.
“I hope that I can deal with it, move on and keep playing as well as I’ve been playing.
“I plan to speak to the likes of Padraig and Ernie and some others to just get a bit of advice on how to deal with a first major and what to do, what not to do.
“My schedule isn’t going to change, I’ll reset my goals but I’ve got enough smart people around me to help me.”
Montgomerie believes he has potentially 20 players from which to pick his three wildcards for the European team to play in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor in October, and admitted he was anticipating to make one of the toughest decisions of his career at the final qualifying event, the Johnnie Walker Champion-ship at Gleneagles, at the end of August.
“I say now, I apologise for the fact that I will have to leave out champions.
“It’s a huge dilemma, and I’m going to have to leave out winners, because of the strength in depth that we now have,” he said.
“I do feel that after Padraig’s success in 2007-08 that the Europeans decided if he do can it, we can, and I’ve never seen people practise so hard physically and mentally on their games.
“I never, ever worked that hard. There’s no question that with the success this year we will go into the Ryder Cup as favourites, and the expectation will come with that but it’s never easy.
“When we won with a record 181/2 points to 91/2 score in the US at Oakland Hills (in 2004), 11 matches came down the last hole and we won nine of them.
“If that had been reversed the US team would have won by a record margin it’s always very, very close.”
For himself, Montgomerie has been rejuvenated by the 62 he scored at Sunningdale’s New Course last month that secured his 21st successive Open appearance next week.
“Not having won the Open, you have to find a way to get exempt or qualify and it’s not easy to do that 21 times in a row,” he said.
“Sometimes you do wonder if you’ve plateaued and you’re on the way out, but to score that out of the blue and for people to say, ‘Hang on a minute, he can still play,’ that’s good, because it’s important that I can prove to myself that I still can.
“It has given me confidence to think I could compete and maybe even contend in these next two weeks, which have always been the biggest fortnight for me in my career especially when the Open is at St Andrews.”
However Celtic Manor is never far away from his thoughts, particularly this week with his pairing for the first two rounds with candidates Martin Kaymer and Rhys Davies.
“It’s pure coincidence. I asked the tour at the start of the year to be paired with Europeans-but no more than that,” he said, while underlining his admiration for the young Welshman.
“If I had his putting stroke, I would not be sitting here having not won a major,” he said.
“I never seen anyone over the ball expecting to hole everything the way he does if you asked 100 players on tour, 80% would say he’s the best on tour.”
The only thing missing from Monty’s deliberations is the lack of a good Scottish candidate to make his team.
“There’s potential out there it just has to come through,” he said.
“I just wish it would happen quickly so I could captain a Scot-but the way things are looking, not as this stage.
“But I’m not worried about it at all.
“The wins and the consistent top-five finishes will come.”