Victory to bring all the trappings

The rewards Philip Reidreports that the win has really moved McDowell into the big time

ASIDE FROM the not insignificant winner’s cheque for over €1 million, the first trappings of success for Graeme McDowell were made known to him shortly after his US Open win: Marquis Jets, one of his sponsors, put a private jet at his disposal. Indeed, the first engagement for the new US Open champion involved a flight to Los Angeles to guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

McDowell can get accustomed to a new life, even if he is the type to keep his feet firmly on the ground. As a major champion, his marketability is set to sky-rocket. He already has a fine portfolio of corporate clients which include Callaway, Louis Copeland, Audemards Piquet, Marquis Jets, Ballantines, Al Naboodah and Stuburt – but his US Open victory moves him into a new realm in terms of his attractiveness to existing and new sponsors, as he is now also associated with a major championship.

He has moved into the big time. Indeed, following the high-profile victory he has already been earmarked for a walk-on part today in the Hollywood-produced Entourage, the hit US comedy show.

McDowell’s victory should reap significant financial benefits off the course with such income set to become a multiple of what he actually earns in prize money. And it will also move the Dublin-based Horizon Sports Management agency, which looks after him, onto a new level internationally as McDowell – who intends to play more frequently on the US Tour next year – becomes a much sought-after commodity.

McDowell – who has homes in Portrush, Co Antrim, and in Lake Nona, Florida – has immediate golfing benefits from his victory:

-He earns a 10-year exemption into the US Open

-He gains a five-year exemption into the US Masters, the British Open and the US PGA

-He claims a place in the 2010 PGA Grand Slam of Golf

-He gets an invite into the 2011 US Tour's season-opening SBS Championship in Hawaii.

In becoming the fourth Irish player to win a major in 12 starts, joining Pádraig Harrington (winner of the 2007 and 2008 British Opens and 2008 US PGA) who kicked off this remarkable run for Ireland’s golden generation of golfers, McDowell moved up to a career-high 13th in the official world rankings. With this win, he has also ensured his place on Europe’s team for the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor in October.

McDowell has taken tough decisions to get to this point: he changed clubs, caddies, management companies and moved home to Portrush. Kenny Comboy, his caddie of four years, admitted he didn’t see a major champion when he first started working for him. “When I first picked up the bag, no, but he’s made vast improvements. You could never fault his attitude, his potential to improve and his work ethic. He does exactly what is required to improve. If something needs to be addressed, I’m honest with him, he’s honest with me and we go down the path of improving it.

“We felt his short game wasn’t good enough to compete in these major championships so we decided we needed to go and see Pete Cowen and that was a work in progress. Obviously it’s proved to be good and that was something he felt he needed to improve on and we’ve worked hard over the last couple of years to achieve that. Now obviously Pete is his full swing coach as well.”

Conor Ridge, of Horizon, was also taken with McDowell’s desire to improve.

McDowell left the bigger ISM stable – which looks after Lee Westwood, Ernie Els and Rory McIlroy in their large stable of golfers – to move to Horizon at the end of the 2007 season. “We were shaping ourselves up to attract some pretty big players and you need someone to buy into your vision for what you are trying to do,” explained Ridge.

He added: “Graeme spoke about getting a lot of energy from a new group of people being around him, and maybe a company being built around him which is exactly what is happening. It was a big move for him.

“He’s left one of the biggest companies in the world and gone to a smaller one and I suppose he was buying into me to a certain degree. Again, it comes back down to he is a very, very intelligent guy. Far more intelligent than most guys out there. He is sharp, intelligent, and articulate.”

A sponsor’s dream.