McDowell happiest of Irish trio
Defending champion Graeme McDowell had most to smile about following a one-under-par 70 but there were plenty of positives too for both Pádraig Harrington, who posted an even-par 71, and Shane Lowry, with a 72 on his championship debut.
For McDowell, though, his one bogey, two birdie round had been signposted as the dawn of a new stage in his career after months of looking back to past glories at Pebble Beach, when he won his first major with a nerveless final round in California. And the Portrush star was delighted with the way it kicked off in the most testing of circumstances as he launched his title defence.
“I felt really, really good this morning. I felt normal. It felt like a regular major championship. It didn’t feel like I was defending anything. And I just went out there,” McDowell said.
“I set myself some challenges this morning to go out and try to think well, try to go through my processes correctly, through my routines and just be patient and enjoy the round. And I really accomplished those things.”
Not that McDowell ever viewed Congressional’s par-71, 7,574-yard Blue Course as there for the taking. Having bounced back well from an opening bogey at the par-four first with a birdie at the par-three second, McDowell went into red numbers with a birdie at the par-five, 555-yard sixth and then parred his way home.
“I don’t think you ever feel that way at a US Open, that you’ve got to go out and make a score. You just try to take each hole as it comes,” McDowell said.
“The golf course changed dramatically as the round went on. The wind got up on the back nine there. And holes like 15 and 16 played different than what we saw in practice.
“I hit 9-iron on 15. And with practice I’ve been going on with 3- and 4-irons. You had to adapt your game plan a little bit. But I kept it in play well today. I played smart golf. My iron play could have been better, but all in all, very, very happy with most departments today.”
Harrington, who earlier in the week had admitted he was trying too hard to rediscover the glorious form that delivered three majors between 2007 and 08, was happy with his score but disappointed to have closed his round of 71 with a bogey, at the par-five ninth, after finding the rough at the back of the green and then seeing his par putt lip out.
“I’d have taken it before I went out,” Harrington said. “It always feels bad; if I birdied the last for level par instead of bogeying, I’d feel better than I do now. But certainly I missed a few birdie chances out there, but I also made a few out there as well.
“It’s probably a fair reflection, even though I would have liked to have been a few shots better.”
Asked what aspect of his game had pleased him most, Harrington replied: “My iron play was good, and my score was pretty good. As I said, I’d be pleased with the score, even though I should have been a couple better.
“But definitely, you know, when I got it in position, I did hit my irons pretty close. I have a new set of irons in the bag and there definitely seems to be a nice bit of control in them. And they seem to fly very nicely with a bit more of spin. It kind of suits a US Open test.”
Much like McDowell, US Open debutant Lowry showed some resolve to not only overcome stomach cramps before and during his round but also to bounce back from a bogey with a birdie at the next hole, three times.
And unlike Harrington, the 24-year-old Offaly golfer finished on a high, with a birdie at the par-four 18th having sent in his 188-yard approach shot out of the rough to six feet from the pin, from where he sank the birdie putt for his 72.
“Actually I didn’t play that great,” Lowry said. “I didn’t feel that I was playing that well. And I got it around. I kept my momentum up. And I putted really well today. But for one really short putt, everything looked like it was going in or burning the edge. It was good to birdie the last. I’m happy enough.”
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