On Father's Day, McDowell gives a big nod to Dad

The hug Graeme McDowell shared with his dad, Kenny, on Sunday was better than any Hallmark card could ever be. And why not? Kenny has always been at Graeme's side, coaching and cheering, from junior golf to his life-changing triumph.

By Helen Ross, PGATOUR.COM Chief of Correspondents

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. --  It was almost closing time at the Harbour Bar in his hometown of Portrush when Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell finally got to wrap his arms around that big silver U.S. Open trophy.

And by the time he met with the media after winning his first major championship, the clock was fast approaching 4 a.m. back home on the craggy western coast of the Emerald Isle. "So if anyone there is still up partying right now, fair play," McDowell said, grinning.

And make no mistake. That's where he'll be celebrating -- with a pint or two of Guinness, of course -- when he gets back home and the magnitude of what he did Sunday at Pebble Beach starts to finally sink in.

McDowell held off the likes of Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els to break a 40-year European drought at the U.S. Open, eventually beating Gregory Havret by one stroke. In fact, he is the first player from the United Kingdom to win any major since Paul Lawrie won the British Open in 1999.

"I will take an unbelievable amount of confidence away from this," said the smiling McDowell, who jumped from 34th to 13th in the world with the victory. "And when I sober up, I will certainly be thinking about winning more of these."

McDowell did it on Father's Day with his own dad, Kenny, in his gallery every step of the way. All year, he'd been telling his son there was only one present he wanted -- and until Sunday night the younger McDowell "wasn't quite sure I was going to be able to deliver." The hug they shared on the 18th green was better than any Hallmark card.

"It was unbelievable," Kenny McDowell said simply. And after taking several calls on his mobile phone, the proud father finally slipped out of his son's press conference to grab a celebratory beer in the player hospitality area. 

"He's an emotional guy," McDowell said. "... He's been emotional all week. He's really enjoyed it. I'm about the only one that's not really showing any emotion right now. It hasn't really sunk in. ... I work so hard at being calm and disciplined out there today that I'm still feeling a little too calm right now. 

"I need to get a beer in my hand or something, I don't know."

Surely that could be arranged for the man who had said earlier in the week that he couldn't name the winners of the four previous U.S. Opens held at Pebble Beach -- except for Tiger Woods, of course. McDowell rattled them off with no problem on Sunday night, though.

"To win at Pebble Beach, to join the names, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Tom Kite, Tiger Woods, me -- wow," McDowell said with a chuckle. "I'm not quite sure if I belong in that list, but, hey, I'm there now. It's pretty amazing."

One thing he did know, though -- McDowell liked Pebble Beach the minute he laid eyes upon it in 2001 as a student at the University of Alabama-Birmingham. The Blazers were playing a tournament nearby and McDowell and his teammates snuck over for a peek.

"We were in awe of the place," the 30-year-old recalled. "It reminded me of home quite a lot -- the coast line and the ocean and just the beauty of it all. ...

"The scenery here at Pebble, it's a great way of taking your mind off what was going on. Anytime I felt nervous or felt myself getting ahead of myself (Sunday) I just had a look around and just took in the scenery and really just tried to use that to bring me back into the present. 

"It's just a special place to play golf."

Oddly enough, McDowell's first memories of the U.S. Open involved Els, who was tied with him for the lead briefly on the front nine Sunday. He was a teenager when Els won his first of two U.S. Opens at Oakmont, beating Loren Roberts and Colin Montgomerie -- who will be McDowell's Ryder Cup captain in October -- in a playoff.

"That was probably the one I remember because I wanted the Lynx golf clubs he had," McDowell said. "I wanted the Ashworth shirt that he was wearing. So I was probably 14, 15, and starting to realize that maybe I wanted to be a competitive golfer. And I remember that Open quite well."

McDowell said that growing up in what he called a "humble" situation near Royal Portrush, one of the most famous courses in the world, it was "inevitable" that he would become a golfer. Kenny McDowell was an avid player, and while he "certainly drove me hard," Graeme said, the son learned to love the game, too.

"He was always by my side every shot coming through any amateur career, up through college golf and into the pro ranks," McDowell said. "... I didn't want for much growing up. But I was certainly under no illusions. I was going to have to work hard for anything I achieve in my life. 

"I was reasonably well behaved in school and got my grades good. I always worked hard. I worked hard at the game. I always practiced hard.  I was always very ambitious and driven. I always dreamt of having one of these. And this is a pretty special day in my career right now."

McDowell turned pro in 2002 -- shortly after winning the Fred Haskins Award as the United States’ top collegiate golfer -- and he won his fourth start on the European Tour at the Volvo Scandinavian Masters. He won his fifth title two weeks ago at the Celtic Manor Wales Open and brought that momentum with him across the pond.

"I walked away from a win in Wales and really felt like I was playing the golf of my life," McDowell said. "And I felt very calm under the pressure this afternoon. I made some great swings on that back nine. 

"I struggled with my game yesterday.  Yesterday was a big day for me.  I hung in there.  I hung tough when I wasn't really on my game. And I really kept myself into it with an opportunity to win the golf tournament, and I was happy to stay in the present out there this afternoon; and thankfully the golfing gods were looking down on me this afternoon."

With the victory, McDowell earns a five-year exemption on the PGA Tour should he decide to join -- and judging from the way he talked Sunday night, the Northern Irishman plans to do just that. McDowell, who has a home at Lake Nona in Orlando already, vowed not to turn his back on the European Tour, but he likes the options of a world-wide schedule. 

"I've played quite a lot out here this season," McDowell said. "I looked at the FedExCup, et cetera, et cetera, and not being a Ryder Cup year next year, my plan was to come over and play a little bit more. ... I think the great thing about golfers in Europe is we play all over the world, and I think we're better players and better people because of that."

McDowell said the always felt the U.S. Open was suited to his game. He had made the cut in the four previous ones he'd played and tied for 18th last year. He certainly displayed the patience at Pebble Beach necessary to prosper -- and on the scenic seaside course solidified his position as one of the favorites for the Open Championship at St. Andrews next month.

First, though McDowell wants to enjoy this victory.

"There's not too many bad golfers on this trophy," he said, as he looked down at the big silver loving cup cradled in his arms. "And to join an elite list of names, I mean, careers are defined by major championships and my career's off and running today."