Re-motivated Graeme McDowell eager to relive Pebble Beach high

Graeme McDowell is not the first golfer to have lost motivation in his career due to positive changes in his life away from the course but the former US Open champion admitted last night he considered actually quitting the game such was his wish to be at home with his new wife and their baby.

McDowell has talked at length in the recent past about his lack of motivation at work when his life is so pleasurable at home in Florida with wife Kristin and daughter Vale but as he returns to the major championship he won at Pebble Beach in 2010 he is sufficiently rejuvenated on the golf course to describe the doubts about his future in the game that crept in during a run of poor form earlier this year.

“It’s kind of one of those things that you never think is going to happen to you, I suppose.

“I love the game and I want it and I’m always up for this game. But I think when it happens to you, you don’t realise it.

“I think it’s important to have a good team of people around you to help you acknowledge it and help you sift through kind of where the problems lie. Is it that you don’t love the game anymore or is it the fact that you just love being home with the family a bit more than normal?

“So I think just acknowledging it is obviously a big part of it.

“It’s not fun. I obviously haven’t enjoyed the season, early in the year, not playing well, not scoring well, losing a little of confidence and belief. Thinking ‘am I done, finished, washed up, should I think about getting a new job?’

“All these crazy human instinct thoughts go through your mind, and it’s just about trying to get back in your processes and trust what you’re doing. And knowing that it’s not necessarily going to happen fast.

“You’ve got to just dig in and start grinding again and go back to all the things that worked in the past.

“And just start enjoying the game really, I suppose. It’s hard. It’s not been fun this year, definitely been one of the tougher seasons in the last seven or eight. But I feel like I’m learning a lot from it.

“That’s something I’ve done well this in my career to this point is reacting well to the tough years and coming out the other side better and stronger and smarter.

“That’s what I’m kind of in right now, I’m in that learning curve and looking forward to being back on the leaderboard very soon.”

Having emerged re-motivated, McDowell repeated his desire not to have his victory at Pebble Beach in 2010 remain the single highlight of his career.

“I’ve decided that I want more of this stuff. I want to win more major championships.

“I have the desire back to practice again and work hard because I love being in contention in the biggest events in the world.

“I want some more of it. 2010 was amazing for me, but I don’t want it to perhaps define my career. I think I’d like to continue defining my career from here onwards.”