Beach boy hits the high note

WINNING major championships can do wonders for a golfer’s career.

Not alone did Graeme McDowell’s marvellous victory at Pebble Beach on Sunday earn him $1.35m (€1.08m) but it moved him up 24 places in the world rankings to a career high 13th and to second in the Ryder Cup list – making him a certainty for Celtic Manor next October.

There are countless other perks – such as a five-year exemption into all the world’s major championships – but most important of all, a very special place in the annals of the game as the first European champion in 40 years and a member of a very select band of players who have captured the US Open at Pebble Beach.