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It's not like McDowell to lose the head

Italian Open Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell has had a bit of a shock even before his defence of the Telecom Italian Open…

Thu May 05 2005 - 01:00

Italian OpenNorthern Ireland's Graeme McDowell has had a bit of a shock even before his defence of the Telecom Italian Open begins this morning. The 25-year-old was practising at Castello di Tolcinasco near Milan when the head of his driver came flying off.

"It must have taken a bit of a knock in my flight bag," said McDowell. "I had hit two shots with it and was about to hit a third. I knew there was something strange, looking at the head, but decided to hit it anyway and the head was about 100 yards away before I knew it.

"I'm off to speak to the TaylorMade guys right now. I think we can repair it. I'm not sure we will get the exact same driver built up, but I will get one I am happy with.

"It's the driver I've been using the last couple of months, and it was not nice (to lose it)."

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Last year McDowell beat France's Thomas Levet at the fourth hole of a play-off on the same course after rain cut the event to 54 holes, but he gave arguably the best performance of his career this March.

Invited to take part in the Bay Hill Invitational on the US Tour, the former Walker Cup star fired a best-of-the-day closing 66 and took a share of second place with Vijay Singh. It catapulted him into the world's top 50 and into the Masters, and created a happy dilemma because it has opened a lot of doors on the US Tour.

"I want to play a lot more in America, but I want to be a worldwide player. I don't ever want to give up my card in Europe.

"Obviously I want to play well in the majors and prime my game for next year and the Ryder Cup."

McDowell just missed out on a debut last year, but it will surprise nobody if he is part of Ian Woosnam's side at the K Club.

McDowell's rise in the world rankings makes him favourite this week, although he can expect a challenge from 1989 British Open champion Mark Calcavecchia, who is combining his first appearance in the event with getting married again today. The pair will form an early-morning threeball with Italy's former Ryder Cup star Costantino Rocca.

In the threeball behind them will be Woosnam, who is concerned he may face problems for the 2006 match in Kildare if leading Europeans continue to compete extensively in the US.

"There must be a dozen key players playing the US Tour at the moment and I'm worried about how the team may work out if the guys keep playing in America," he said.

"It's a bit of a predicament, but hopefully a lot of them will change their schedules and play a bit more over here.

"It's only five from the world rankings and five from the European rankings (for automatic Ryder Cup places). With the amount of players over there (in the US), there could be too many playing for points via the world table."

McDowell is joined in the field by five compatriots: Philip Walton, Gary Murphy, Stephen Browne, Damien McGrane and Michael Hoey.

And on the European Challenge Tour, Tim Rice, Colm Moriarty, Daniel Sugrue, Noel Fox and David Higgins will tee it up in the Wales Challenge at the Vale Hotel Golf and Spa Resort.