Four days of play is the minimum

Philip Reid talks to an ever-confident Graeme McDowell ahead of his debut in the US Open.

It's a sign of Graeme McDowell's upwardly mobile graph, and the trappings of success that go with it, that his arrival here on Tuesday lunchtime should involve a journey in a private jet from his new home in Florida to the local Moore County airfield at Pinehurst. Now, you figure, it's also time for him to start delivering in a major.

For the 25-year-old, this marks McDowell's sweep of playing in all of the majors. One statistic, however, that he doesn't want is to make it a clean sweep of missing the cut. In each of his previous major appearances - the British Open at Royal Troon, the US PGA at Whistling Straits and the US Masters at Augusta - he has had the weekend free.

Somehow, though, there's a sense that this is different. "I enjoy the layout, there's nothing too overbearing or too scary about it," remarked McDowell.

"Sure, you've got to place the ball in the right places. If you miss the green in the wrong places, you're going to be struggling. But I feel pretty comfortable."

In a change from previous preparations for the majors, McDowell took two weeks off prior to his US Open debut at Pinehurst No 2. Last week, he came up to North Carolina and played 36 holes on the course.

He took his time, played as many shots as he liked in solitude. "It was great. I could try any shot I wanted and I wasn't going to look an idiot if it didn't come off," he remarked. He played bump and runs, flop shots, putted from off the green, used the three-wood. All part of the preparation.

Having spent two days practising on the course last week, he was able to return to the new house he bought which overlooks the range at Lake Nona and then come back here on Tuesday.

"This is my fourth major and I've had a lot of time to reflect on the type of preparation that's needed. I'm still learning as I go along, but I prefer this course to any of the major courses I've played. It's my type of course.

"You've got to respect it. It's demanding off the tee, and you've got to place it in the fairway. Around the greens you're faced with a variety of shots. In certain instances, your hand is forced a little. You've got to be so much in control of every aspect of your game, driving, iron play, chipping, putting. But it's pretty fair."

McDowell's rise into the world's top-50 has brought with it access into the majors, although his best form this season has been reserved for appearances in the United States. In eight appearances on the US Tour, he has had two top-10 finishes, including a runner-up finish in the Bay Hill Invitational, and he tops the non-member money category with $656,378. In contrast, his best result on the European Tour has been tied-16th in the British Masters.

Although he has made a dramatic move up the rankings, McDowell is convinced he still has a long way to go to reach his full potential.

"To be honest, I've got acres of land to move into. I feel like I'm a quick learner and I tend to take positive experiences away with me, whether I've played good or bad. My game is getting better week by week, year by year. I'm going in the right direction.

"It's all about feeling comfortable wherever you are, and I feel comfortable here."

That comfort zone, though, has to manifest itself in performing in a major. Somehow, you get the feeling that the time is ripe for such a performance from the Portrush man.