mygolfsociety.ie Fan, US Open 2010 champ and all-round good guy Graeme McDowell continues to pick up the trophies even after he has probably played his last competitive round of golf this year.
G Mac may have had to share the European Tour Golfer of the Year award with Martin Kaymer, but he is the clear winner of the Golf Writers’ Trophy. McDowell is the first player from Northern Ireland and the fifth Irish golfer to win an award which dates back to 1951.
The 31-year-old made history at Pebble Beach by becoming the first European winner of the US Open since Tony Jacklin 40 years ago and then clinched the winning point at the Ryder Cup. He also added the Wales Open at the Celtic Manor, the Andalucia Masters at Valderrama and the Chevron World Challenge to his already bulging trophy cabinet.
G Mac remarked on yet another accolade: “I am hugely honoured to win such a prestigious award and especially in a year when European golf as a whole has achieved such amazing things”.
He added: “Beating Tiger in California a week ago didn’t do the Ulsterman any harm either. Terrific stuff”.
“To win a major championship and to hole the winning putt in the Ryder Cup, these are absolute, ultimate golfing dreams for me”.
“It has definitely been a life-changing experience the last few months and I feel incredibly lucky”.
“I can’t get my head around it for sure now, but I feel very fortunate and privileged that I’ve had the opportunity”.
“Every golfer wants to win majors, but the Ryder Cup was another stratosphere – trying to win it not just for me, but for 11 team-mates, for Colin (captain Colin Montgomerie), for all those fans, for Europe”.
“I have never been so nervous. That 16th hole, they were the three greatest shots of my career”.
“Under that pressure it was an amazing feeling, particularly as I was told on the fairway before I hit my second shot, that a half-point would not be enough and that I needed to win the match”.
“It’s been a phenomenal few years for European golf in general and in particular British and Irish golf. Look at the number of players at the top of the world rankings and, of course, right at the top is Lee”.
“He has been our most consistent player the last few years. He has worked extremely hard and thoroughly deserves to be up there. It has given all of us the belief that one day we may also reach that top spot”.
“I cannot thank the team around me, my family and management, enough for their support this year and in the years ahead”.
“I will have the same attitude in 2011 as I did in 2010, to work hard and to try to win some tournaments”.
“How I perform will all be heavily scrutinised and that is understandable, but I’ll never try and compare it to 2010”.
“I’m very aware of the pitfalls, complacency, expectation levels, really trying to change my game now that I’m a major champion and in the top 10 in the world”.
“I’m looking forward to it and I know I have a huge amount of room for improvement, particularly in and around the greens and just sharpening up my whole game generally”.
Here’s to another great year for G Mac in 2011 and don’t forget to vote for him to become 2010 Sports Personality of the Year: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tv_and_radio/sports_personality_of_the_year/default.stm
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