In tune McDowell ready to take down Tiger
From Brian Keogh in New York
Graeme McDowell has turned off the TV so he can take out Tiger Woods.
The Ulsterman reckons that it will take a non-American to stop the world No 1 romping to his 15th major victory at Bethpage Black this week.
And he’s decided that he will have a better chance of pulling it off if he doesn’t watch or listen to the Tiger talk on US TV.
McDowell said: “They build him up to be unbeatable over here and that's why no-one does beat him over here. That's why historically, it has only been international players who have beaten him - the Padraig Harringtons, the Darren Clarkes of the world.
“No disrespect to the Golf Channel. I watch it a lot but I don't watch it on major weeks because A, they will tell you how you can't get around this golf course and B, they will tell you how unbeatable Tiger is. So there’s no real point in watching it.
“Of course the guy is the best player ever to touch a golf club but he is beatable. I’d love a go at him. It’s my dream to take him on a Sunday afternoon at a major.
“I think it should be every player’s dream. If you want to win, you want to win in style, you want to take him down.”
McDowell was Europe’s top player in the Masters, where he partnered Woods in the third round.
And after fizzling out after some decent starts in recent majors, he’s determined to go the distance this time.
He said: “I was in the mix at Winged Foot, I was in the mix at Oakmont. I just haven't learned how to do it for four rounds in a major yet but I am starting to get my head around that a wee bit more.
“I certainly did that at Augusta and last year at Birkdale I was in the mix but didn't have it at the weekend. It is all about the short game and mental stamina.
“You have to have a cold beer in the evenings and realise you have to conserve your energy because you know it is going to get harder and harder as the weekend goes on.”
McDowell’s biggest concern is the excessive length of a 7,400 yard course that is playing longer than ever because of recent rains.
Three of the par fours measure over 500 yards with the 525 yard seventh a monster sized task for all but the longest hitters.
He said: “It is obviously playing unbelievably long. It is going to be interesting to see how they set the tees up because it is just outrageous here.
"I hit an okay drive on the seventh - nothing special - and I had 254 to the pin.
“It suits the long hitter right now. But it's not like the short hitter can't get around because the greens are receptive enough.
“It is a nice course. But it's long. Jeez it's long. It's effectively, yardage wise, the longest golf course I have ever played.
“I wore a hole in my hybrids and my four and five irons out there. It is relentless."