Graeme McDowell Makes It Home, but Just Justely

When it came to it, the man from Portrush was willing to venture his search for what he called the last-chance salon.

Buried amidst the list of hopefuls signed up for the British Open final qualification – a Tuesday 36-hole on St. Anne's Old Links in England – the name of Graeme McDowell briefly appeared.

"I started making those plans a little bit – really, am I really doing this?" McDowell, the former winner of the United States Open, remembered last month. "OK, I think we are."

Of all the years of losing an automatic lock in the British Open, the timing could not have been worse. With the oldest major championship of golf that returned to McDowell & # 39; s hometown in Northern Ireland for the first time in 68 years, he was clawing.

Fortunately for McDowell, it was never his last chance, which the Scottish Open as St. Annes had not worked out. He found an entry via Canada and grabbed one of the three berths via the RBC Canadian Open by making a 30-foot leg on the last hole in the last hole in June.

Pressure removed.

"It would have been incredibly bittersweet not to have been in the Open Championship," said McDowell, 39, who learned the game at Royal Portrush along with the neighboring Rathmore Golf Club. His final day on that day was good for a share of eight.

Rory McIlroy, the Canadian Open champion after a 61 on the last day, was happy for the performance of his countryman.

"It would have been a shame if the Open came to Portrush and the boy from the hometown could not play," said McIlroy. "I know it has been something he has wanted for a while." Of course it will be great to have him in the field in Portrush. "

[Read more on how the British Open finally returned to Royal Portrush after almost 70 years.]

For almost ten years, McIlroy, McDowell, and Darren Clarke had insisted on bringing the Open back to their homeland. Royal Portrush had hosted the 1951 edition, but the tournament was not yet back.

Their efforts were rewarded four years ago when it was announced that the 2019 Open would be played at Royal Portrush, but when the date approached, McDowell had still not qualified.

Clarke and McIlroy guaranteed berths up to the age of 60 as past Open champions, Clarke won in 2011 and McIlroy in 2014. And for many years, McDowell's world ranking was good enough to earn an automatic position in the line-up.

McDowell reached the end of 2010 to sixth place when he entered the US Open at Pebble Beach and had three other wins.

He won five more times up to and including 2014, almost added a second US Open crown in 2012 and tied fifth place at the British Open a month later. He remained in the top 25 until 2015. Even then he won the OHL Classic in Mexico at the end of that year.

Changes during the course of the course began to have an impact. McDowell built a house in Florida and married Kristin Stape in 2013. Children followed him and he entered the restaurant business.

He fell out of the top 100 in 2017 and ended at 238 last year.

"Golf is a fickle game," McDowell said. "I kept my eyes off the ball – it felt like a second – and about a hundred 25-year-old children came running past me."

From this season, the PGA Tour status of McDowell was even at stake. After finishing in the top of the top 150 in the FedExCup rankings last year, his status fell.

"I have had to ask myself pretty difficult questions in the last few years," McDowell said. "Fortunately I came to the conclusion that if it were all gone, I would miss it. So you know what, let's try to enjoy it while it's here. It's an opportunity."

Opportunity came at the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship, a secondary event for those not eligible for a World Golf Championships stop the same week. Back-to-back 64s gave McDowell the lead towards the final day and he won with a shot.

The victory restored McDowell to a full PGA Tour card, and he could then concentrate on reaching Royal Portrush

"I felt the story snow," McDowell said. "I felt like every tournament I went to, people reminded me that I wasn't in Portrush. & # 39; I hope to see you in Portrush, & # 39; & # 39; I hope you get in. & # 39; Yes, I know. I hope I do. "

The Canadian Open is part of the Open Qualifying Series, tournaments in which British Open moorings are made available to top fishermen who not yet qualified. If that did not work out, McDowell was on his way to the qualifier on St. Annes.

If that didn't work, three more sleeping places dangled at the Scottish Open.

"I certainly did not want to be in Scotland, last chance salon, which goes:" This is it, "he said." But that was a real possibility. "

Rounds of 65 and 67 put McDowell in dispute in Canada, although a third round 70 delayed its momentum At the start of the last day, four golfers competed for McDowell or those who held with him for the three slots for Royal Portrush.

Things were still not arranged when he drove to the last hole, where he drove left rough and had to make up. His third shot stopped just outside the piste.

"The putt was not manageable, no," McDowell recalled "It had 12 feet of break in it. It was a ridiculously difficult putt to make. I just loved it – saw it, liked how it looked.

"And when I saw it enter, it was a huge relief."

McDowell tied for 16th place at the US Open and then headed for Royal Portrush. Although he is faced with a fight against rivals such as McIlroy and the world number 1 Brooks Koepka, he feels confidence returning.

"To have hit the open ticket now," he said, "gives me that little bit of breathing room to hopefully focus on my game and be competitive. I feel like I'm playing well."