SCOTTISH OPEN:PLAYERS HAVE different ways of preparing for the British Open. Some, such as the absent Tiger Woods, never play competitively on the eve of the tournament. Others, like the defending champion, Pádraig Harrington, do. He chose to defend - and retain - his Irish PGA Championship, and the world number two and number three, Phil Mickelson and Adam Scott, played here in the Scottish Open.
Graeme McDowell did likewise and was rewarded with a major boost by winning this tournament. As those around him floundered and faded - no fewer than 23 players started the final round of Loch Lomond's 13th Scottish Open within five shots of the lead - the 28-year-old Ulsterman claimed his fourth European tour title with a closing round of 68.
His 13-under aggregate of 271 was two strokes clear of a fast-finishing James Kingston of South Africa, whose 66 was just enough to pip Australia's Richard Green and Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez for second place.
McDowell was third last week in the European Open and was already a winner at the Ballantine's Championship in South Korea in March, and this latest victory will almost certainly see him force his way into Nick Faldo's Ryder Cup team come September.
His victory has moved him above Soren Hansen, Oliver Wilson, Henrik Stenson and Martin Kaymer into sixth place in the Europe standings.
His ability to make birdies when it matters - he picked up three in succession from the 13th to effectively end speculation over the result, then almost holed his approach to the 18th green - will surely come in handy during Europe's battle with the United States in Kentucky.
"This is a massive door-opener for me," said the former Walker Cup player from Portrush, who banked €631,000 for first place.
"The Ryder Cup has always been a dream for me and it has always been a dream to achieve a multiple-win season.
"Now I've done all of that and more. All in all, it was a pretty special feeling walking up the 18th.
"I refused to be measured for my Ryder Cup clothes last week, but maybe I will accept next time. It's never over till it's over, of course, but this is a massive step in the right direction. It will be a dream come true."
As for the aforementioned star names, Mickelson and Scott, neither will travel south remotely reassured by his performance on the bonnie banks.
For the American, a mediocre week was rounded off by his highest score of the tournament, a disappointing two-over 73 mostly attributable to his normally much-vaunted short game.
"I have a few things to work on," Mickelson admitted. "My chipping and putting were poor and not what I was expecting."
Scott was not much better, getting to 10 under before capitulating completely and spectacularly with consecutive sixes on the ninth and 10th, a disaster which effectively ended his hopes of victory.
In the end, yet another double bogey on the short 17th consigned the Australian to a distant tie for 25th.
The lowest rounds of the day were 64s from Alvaro Quiros of Spain and Scotland's Stephen Gallacher.
In Gallacher's case, his bogey-free, seven-under effort - described as "awesome" by his compatriot and playing companion Alastair Forsyth - was enough to briefly lift home hopes that the 33-year-old from Bathgate, near Edinburgh, might just grab the last available British Open spot.
It was not to be, though. That distinction went to the fifth-placed Simon Khan, who stiffed his greenside bunker shot at the last to qualify for what will be his fourth British Open appearance, some consolation for what was a disappointing finish. With seven holes to play the Englishman had led by two shots.
"At this moment in time I feel pretty disappointed," said Khan. "But for a couple of tee-shots I played lovely today and I had a couple of bad breaks."
Guardian Service
SCOTTISH OPEN FINAL LEADER BOARD
271 (-13) G McDowell (N Ire) 67 70 66 68 (€631,044)
273 (-11) J Kingston (Rsa) 70 70 67 66 (€420,692)
274 (-10) MA Jimenez (Spa) 68 69 68 69; R Green (Aus) 67 68 70 69 (€213,167)
275 (-9) S Khan (Eng) 69 66 68 72 (€160,537)
EUROPEAN RYDER CUP STANDINGS
(* indicates players currently in qualifying positions)
EUROPEAN LIST
1 Westwood 2,129,163
2 Jimenez 2,002,808
3 Karlsson 1,996,232
*4 Graeme McDowell 1,852,068
*5 Soren Hansen 1,328,157
*6 Oliver Wilson 1,323,115
*7 Stenson 1,321,712
*8 Kaymer 1,305,447
9 Rose 1,260,626
10 Ross Fisher 1,226,019
WORLD LIST
*1 Lee Westwood 227.68
*2 Miguel Angel Jimenez 192.36
*3 Sergio Garcia 187.70
*4 Robert Karlsson 180.88
*5 Justin Rose 168.86
6 Henrik Stenson 165.02
7 Graeme McDowell 160.47
8 Martin Kaymer 148.45
9 Pádraig Harrington 138.64
10 Luke Donald 134.66
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