Graeme McDowell believes the changes made to toughen up St Andrews have made it even more “crazy” but remains confident he can reproduce the form which saw him shoot a course record 62 last year.

HOURS spent in his bedroom last week practising his putting and watching the Masters at the same time paid handsome dividends for Scot Steven O’Hara yesterday.

Hours spent in his bedroom last week practising his putting and watching the Masters at the same time paid handsome dividends for Scot Steven O’Hara today.

It was going to be a long day – a really long day – but it began brilliantly for England’s Luke Donald.

It was going to be a long day – a really long day – but it began brilliantly for England’s Luke Donald.

Ireland’s Graeme McDowell is guaranteed a Masters debut in two weeks’ time after climbing from 52nd to 38th in the world rankings with his brilliant joint second place in the Bay Hill Invitational in Florida.

Liverpool’s Nick Dougherty held off the challenge of Colin Montgomerie to win his first European Tour event at the Caltex Masters in Singapore.

Their exploits in the Ryder Cup ensured 2004 will always be remembered as a great year for Padraig Harrington, Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley.

He was not at the Ryder Cup and he has yet to figure prominently at a major, but Graeme McDowell is starting to become a real force in European golf.

IRELAND'S Graeme McDowell is the joint leader of the Heritage at Woburn along with 2002 Ryder Cup hero Phillip Price from Wales.

And so there were two. Padraig Harrington and David Howell are the only Ryder Cup men left in The Heritage at Woburn.

With less than a week to go to the Ryder Cup, it emerged today that Padraig Harrington has suffered yet another shoulder strain.

England’s Miles Tunnicliff today recorded the biggest winning margin on the European tour this season.

Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell made up for lost time when the second round of the Italian Open eventually got under way in Milan today.

The delayed second round of the Italian Open eventually got underway in Milan this morning.

WHEN it comes to choosing the young Irish golfer most likely to fill the shoes of the modern stars like Padraig Harrington and Darren Clarke, it is difficult to look beyond Graeme McDowell, the former amateur star from the Rathmore club in Portrush.

WHILE there was understandable surprise that Graeme McDowell should have emerged victorious in only his fourth appearance on the European Tour on Sunday, those who have followed his progress in the amateur ranks both here in Ireland and on the collegiate circuit in the United States were confident he was destined for great things in the game of golf.