IT'LL BE FUN IN SUN;GOLF END OF SEASON PGA GRAND SLAM INT RULES MCDONNELL HAS GAMEPLAN: CHAMP
U.S. OPEN champion Graeme McDowell plans to have a bit of fun while adopting a hard-nosed mentality at next week's end-of-season PGA Grand Slam of Golf in Bermuda.
While the Northern Irishman has set his sights on victory in the four-man event, he also wants to enjoy the two days of competition at Port Royal Golf Course in Southampton as much as he can.
"It's going to be a great experience." McDowell said about the October 19-20 event.
"There's going to be an element of fun to it but I'm also looking to try and make a statement as a top Major champion.
"Winning a Major is something we dream about as professional golfers and it's a very elite field to be part of next week."
The 36-hole Grand Slam of Golf, billed as "the most exclusive tournament in golf", brings together the winners of the year's four Majors.
Germany's Martin Kaymer, who won the US PGA Championship at Whistling Straits in August, and former major winners Ernie Els of South Africa and American David Toms will join McDowell.
Els and Toms were late replacements for Masters champion Phil Mickelson and British Open winner Louis Oosthuizen. American Mickelson withdrew due to arthritis and South African Oosthuizen pulled out because of an ankle injury.
"It's probably the toughest fourball to get into in the world and to be part of that as a US Open champion is going to be a great experience." said McDowell, who clinched his first Major title at Pebble Beach in June.
"Missing Phil and Louis is unfortunate.
It would have been special to have all four Major winners there but we have pretty worthy replacements in Ernie Els and David Toms - both great, great players."
Meanwhile, Padraig Harrington has moved back into the world's top 20 with his first victory in over two years at the Johor Open in Malaysia.
Harrington's first win owed as much to the famed "luck of the Irish" as it did to technique but champion will take what he can get during these lean times.
"Luck of the Irish, I'll accept that." he said after ending a barren spell which had stretched back to the 2008 US PGA Championship victory -- the third of his Major triumphs.
"I got a lot of breaks. Things went my way all four days. There's no doubt it was my week to win. If you had followed me for the four days, I don't think anyone would have questioned that my name was written on the trophy," he added.
"I hit some good shots and, at times, the right thing happened at the right time. That's important when you're trying to win."
The $198,125 prize is far from the most important of his lucrative career but the significance of getting back into the winner's enclosure was not lost on Harrington.
"It's obviously been a while. Two years is a long time especially when you're reminded every week you play. It's nice and very important for me to go and win. Winning is a habit so it's another good reason to keep winning and get back on track.
"Every time you win is important but when you haven't won for a while it does add a bit more to it, add a bit more emphasis to it. It makes it all the more memorable."
Despite shooting a 20-under 268, the Irishman has plenty of work to do to get back to where he wants to be. First up is more work on his swing.
"No." was the candid reply offered when asked if he was happy with it.
"But I'm optimistic with my swing. I'm coming very close to it. It's a question of putting it together. I have everything I want. I do it some days."
The Irishman plans a couple of weeks off before returning to Asia for competitions in Shanghai and Singapore where he hopes the region will continue to prove a happy hunting ground.
"I'm back for Shanghai and Singapore next month." he said. "As I said, winning can be a good habit. Maybe I can get another win or two and turn this into a very good year."
