We still live in a democracy – at least the last time I checked, but you’re never entirely sure these days – so Graeme McDowell is allowed to change his mind.
Four years ago McDowell was heavily critical of Castle Stuart for being too open, easy and not suitable preparation for an Open Championship, and ended up having to mend fences with Aberdeen Asset Management chief Martin Gilbert and Stuart McColm, general manager of the Moray Firth links course.
A large element of his “inadvertent” statements then were boosting the Irish Open – he made them while playing in that event – which has long coveted this spot in the schedule. They’re still pretty keen to the point that the Tour had to issue a statement last month that the Scottish was keeping the prized pre-Open slot for the forseeable future.
In any case McDowell has done a complete about-face. Yesterday he saw Castle Stuart with its teeth bared, the prevailing wind from the west gusting to 35 mph, and he was both surprised and pleased.
“I’m really quietly surprised by how good the golf course is,” he said after his two-under 70, which featured no bogeys on the back nine.
“It really does feel like it’s designed for this wind direction, and it’s good prep for next week on a lot of levels.
“It’s a beautiful piece of land here, a really nice mix of short fours and tough fives and it’s a helluva lot more narrow than I remember it.
“It’s a really nice golf course – people are going to say I’m full of s**t having criticised it pretty heavily.
“Myself and Martin Gilbert have gotten a little closer over the years. It was an attempt to kind of get the Irish Open thrust into a better spot in the calendar more than anything. I was just being a little selfish.
“But I’m allowed to change my mind and I like the golf course. I’m enjoying it even though it was tough today.”
McDowell is also pleased to play some wind golf again, having had some practice at Troon last week in which he needed “a legitimate six-iron” to reach the 125-yard Postage Stamp.
“There’s no doubt it’s a fine balance between good preparation and the chance of losing your technique in the wind, but it is what it is,” he said. “I’m not fussy, I don’t care which of these two weeks I play well. I just want to compete, get the confidence, get the momentum.
“It can mess with your technique and mechanics a little bit when you do play too much golf in the wind. But all accounts I think we’re going to have a windy Open next week, and I think this is really good prep.”
McDowell of course desperately wants to get back at the Ryder Cup – after his heroics at Celtic Manor and Gleneagles he’s a mainstay of the European team now – but is trying to ignore that “carrot dangling in front of me”.
“I hate the cliché but I’ve had a hard job getting out of my own way a little bit this year,” he said. “There’s been a lot of inconsistency in my game, but I’m just trying to be patient and go out there today and let the shots go. I feel like I’m turning the corner for sure.”
