McDowell loses head before Italian defence

Mark Garrod, Milan

The 25-year-old, one of Europe's rising stars, was practising at Castello di Tolcinasco near Milan when the head of his driver came flying off.

"It must have taken a bit of a knock in my flight bag," said McDowell.

"I had hit two shots with it and was about to hit a third. I knew there was something strange looking at the head, but decided to hit it anyway and the head was about 100 yards away before I knew it.

"I'm off to speak to the TaylorMade guys now.

"I think we can repair it. I'm not sure we will get the exact same driver built up, but I will get one I am happy with.

"It's the driver I've been using the last couple of months and it was not nice."

McDowell beat France's Thomas Levet at the fourth hole of a play-off on the same course last year rain cut the event to 54 holes but gave arguably the best performance of his career this March.

Invited to take part in the Bay Hill Invitational on the US Tour, the former Walker Cup star fired a best-of-the-day closing 66 and shared second place with Vijay Singh.

It catapulted him into the world's top 50 and into the Masters and created a happy dilemma because it has opened doors on the US Tour.

"I want to play a lot more in America, but I want to be a worldwide player. I don't ever want to give up my card in Europe.

"I'm playing 50-50 at the moment and feel physically able to. When I don't feel I can do that any more I will have to make decisions. But right now I'm happy.

"Obviously I want to play well in the majors and prime my game for next year and the Ryder Cup."

McDowell just missed out on a debut last year, but it will surprise nobody if he is part of Ian Woosnam's side at the K Club next year.

There is a team competition before then the Seve Trophy between Colin Montgomerie's Britain and Ireland and Seve Ballesteros' Continental Europe in September.

"It would be my first professional team event. I think it would be a nice event to play.

"It's not a specific goal, but if I make the team it would be nice. It's a bit of a get-together before the Ryder Cup."

McDowell's rise in the world rankings makes him favourite this week, although he can expect a challenge from former 1989 Open champion Mark Calcavecchia.

Meanwhile, Woosnam has worries already about who will make his team next year even before qualifying starts.

"There must be a dozen key players playing the US tour at the moment and I'm worried about how the team may work out if the guys keep playing in America," said Woosnam.

McDowell is the top-ranked player in the field and even he is spending more time across the Atlanti.

The European team changed its system for last year's match to incorporate the world rankings, but only five qualify off that.

Five more come off the European Order of Merit and then Woosnam has two wild cards.

"With the amount of players over there, there could be too many playing for points via the world table," added the Welshman.

What he has to hope for is that the stars shine in the big events in the States.

The majors and world championships count towards the European Order of Merit as well as the American money list.