‘Mental case’ McDowell ‘in need of an attitude readjustment’

SPORTS psychologist Bob Rotella may have straightened Darren Clarke’s head out this week at Royal St George’s, but he is going to have his hands full with Graeme McDowell and Padraig Harrington for the next while following a couple of brain-mangling rounds at the British Open yesterday.

McDowell’s second-round 77 left him at five over par while a one-over-par 71 saw Harrington also miss the halfway cut on four over.

McDowell’s seven-over round of five bogeys and one double bogey, a six taken at the 412-yard ninth, left the former US Open champion calling himself “a bit of a mental case out there and in need of an attitude readjustment”.

“I need to care a bit less about the game,” he continued.

“I mean, I love this game and I’m working my ass off and I’m working hard and continue to work hard, but I’m just not putting it into play right now. It’s disappointing.”

Asked if he had lost his mojo, though, and McDowell shrugged and replied: “I’ve lost some pars.”

McDowell had been extremely optimistic following ideal preparation for the third major of the year yet it all began to unravel for him on the first tee on Thursday as he began with a double bogey before recovering to post an opening 68.

Yesterday, there was no comeback and after another costly round to parallel his 79 at The Players and his 80 at the Wales Open left McDowell brutally frank about the problems he is facing.

“Getting to be a bit of a habit, these types of days,” he said. “Bad habit to get into obviously. I couldn’t really put my finger on anything that was particularly bad today, I just drove it average, iron play was average, everything was average.

“My attitude has been pretty average the last two days, I’d have to say. Just not having a lot of belief in myself.

“Just a little bit of a confidence issue. Like I say, I just can’t string four rounds together at the minute, and this week I couldn’t even string two together.

“I’m just not in the right frame of mind right now.

“Maybe I’m trying a little too hard the last couple days. You know, it’s tough. I just need to get my approach right. I haven’t quite got the attitude where I want it to be. ”

McDowell was asked how he was going to solve his woes and he replied jokingly: “I’ve been doing a little work with Rotella. Maybe I need to do a little more work with him, get on the couch and tell him all my problems.”

He may find Harrington ahead of him in the queue outside the doctor’s surgery after the two-time winner admitted he was not trusting his putting. Told of Clarke’s glowing testimony about Rotella’s work on the subject, long-time client Harrington said: “I’d better go talk to Bob! He’s saying the same stuff to me, it’s just a question of believing it, isn’t it?”

Of his missed cut, a sixth in his last 10 majors, Harrington said: “I’m disappointed because it came down to the weakest part of my game being usually the strongest part. I’m disappointed that way.

“You know, I could be standing here telling you I putted badly and being level par. I’d still think I putted badly and be in with a chance of winning the tournament. It’s quite frustrating, yes.”