McDowell insists his best is still to come

GRAEME McDOWELL believes his best is yet to come as he prepares to defend his US Open title in Washington next week, eager to prove he is no major flash in the pan.

The Portrush golfer added his name to the list of recent first-time major winners when he prevailed at Pebble Beach 12 months ago to become the first European since Tony Jacklin in 1970 to win the US Open. And he followed it up with a star turn at the Ryder Cup to cement his place in European Tour folklore.

McDowell, though, is convinced there are more heroics ahead with his Pebble Beach victory acting as a springboard to further success rather than representing the pinnacle of his achievements.

“I don’t want to be a one-hit wonder – I want to be the best player I can be,” McDowell, 31, said. “What have I got? Five, 10, maybe 15 years of probably the prime of my career. Can I get better? Yeah. I’ve got a hell of a lot of improving to do. There are so many areas of my game that I can get much, much better at.”

One thing he will wish to repeat time and time again is the confidence he felt very early on at Pebble last year.

“I just remember having a certain calm confidence during the week. I was enjoying my golf, seeing my shots and executing them well.

“My game was all there, it was in good shape and I was confident. I was really just enjoying the week and plodding my way calmly and patiently around the golf course and I’m really not looking too far in front of me.”

McDowell said he thought his upbringing on the links of his native Ulster made his game ideally suited to Pebble Beach’s challenges last year and an Open Championship in the future but next week’s US Open at Congressional was a different test again.

“I really do believe I’ve got the game to win an Open. Links is in my blood — always has been – and I’d love to win an Open.

“But you’ve got to take every week as it comes and Congressional is going to be a huge milestone for me.”