DIARY OF A US OPEN WINNER GRAEME McDOWELL:The US Open champion on the week-long swirl of interviews, delayed private jet flights and guest appearances on Jay Lenoand Entourageand the new champion's emotional return to his Portrush home.
Monday, 21st June
THE MORNING after the night before. How do you describe waking up? Well, firstly, I had to make sure it wasn’t all a dream. It wasn’t. The US Open trophy, the real thing, was in my bedroom. It’s one of those moments you very rarely experience, where you really have to pinch yourself. Next up, I checked out websites – including my own – to read about my win. The reality was slowly sinking in, and I wasn’t long up out of bed before the media demands were on me. I met the Irish golf writers in the lobby of my hotel and then had a series of radio interviews that severely tested my phone’s battery.
My hotel bedroom had a spectacular view out on to the Pacific Ocean and I kept going out on to the balcony to soak it all in. I couldn’t stop myself from letting out roars of sheer joy and I must admit I even took to playing air guitar and jumping on the bed as I let the music blare. Anyone listening that morning must have thought I was going crazy, and I was in a way.
One of my sponsors, Marquis Jets, had put a plane at my disposal for the day, but it took a long time to make the flight. I think we were around two hours late getting to the airport and took the flight down the coast to Los Angeles, where we were met by a fleet of jeeps on the tarmac who took us straight to the television studios in Hollywood for The Tonight Show With Jay Leno.
Meeting Jay and doing the show was pretty cool, but it got even better that evening because I got to make my acting debut on one of my favourite television shows, Entourage.
My hotel was in Beverley Hills and some contact had been made by the show’s producers to see if I’d do a cameo. It then transpired they were actually filming on the very street my hotel was on.
They had taken over a restaurant and blocked it out with a giant awning so that the public couldn’t see in, so we – myself, my dad (Kenny) and my manager (Conor Ridge) – were there for a couple of hours.
The guys from Entouragecouldn't have been nicer and – another 'pinch me' moment – they all wanted their photos taken with me and the trophy.
But it was a big deal for me to meet them, because, as I say, I’m a really big fan of the show. I love it.
I won’t divulge the inner secrets of the plot or the words I was required to use in the episode, but suffice to say I bump into Ari Gold – played by Jeremy Piven – on the way into the men’s room as he is leaving.
Afterwards, on what was one of the longest and greatest days of my life, my own entourage – ie, my dad and manager – oh, and the trophy – went back to the hotel for dinner.
It was late, but they’d kept the restaurant open for us. So, there we were, the three of us and the trophy all alone in the restaurant. Peace, quiet and good company. It was great.
Tuesday, 22nd June
MY FIRST engagement on the Tuesday morning was another media one, this time with the BBC. We'd originally planned on doing it on the Monday but just couldn't squeeze enough hours into the day. The eight-hour time difference on the West Coast was also a factor. So we went to the BBC studios in LA and did the interview – as well as more radio and newspaper ones over the phone which had found a near-permanent home next to my ear – and, then, the next step was the ESPN studios for an interview on Pardon the Interruption, one of the top sports programmes in the States.
ESPN is a major sports network in the States so it was good exposure, but I got a real kick out of meeting one of the stars of the LA Lakers, who was also in the studio for some promotional work. Ron Artest was one of the stars of the Lakers’ win over the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals the previous week. Apart from starring in the basketball, Artest is apparently something of a singer, too, and he was promoting the release of his single Champions, which I believe you can download on iTunes.
Then, it was on to LAX – the international airport in Los Angeles – and a BA flight to Heathrow as the first and longest part of my journey home to Portrush.
Wednesday, 23rd June
Funnily enough, that flight home was one of the first times I really had a chance to sit and talk with my manager about the life-changing win. The plan was to get some good sleep, because I knew there wouldn’t much opportunity for that once I got home. But once we got talking, about schedules and everything else, we were four hours into the flight. The sleep was shorter than planned.
I did have one very important function to attend after landing in Heathrow, before availing of a private jet laid on by Net Jets – a sister company of Marquis Jets – for the final leg of my journey. It involved going out to Callaway HQ in Letterhead where I got the chance to meet all of the staff who work for the company. I got a tremendous welcome and I really enjoyed the QA session which was organised and where all of the staff got an opportunity to ask questions. It was good fun.
After that, it was on to Farnborough to take the private jet to Derry. We’d a camera crew on board recording the final leg of the journey, but it was another recording which grabbed my attention on the actual flight. Believe it or not, but I’d not had the chance to see any of the golf from Pebble Beach. Sky Sports had given Conor a DVD of the final day’s play at the Callaway function and, on the way over to Derry, he slipped it on.
We watched the last four holes but it hadn’t finished when we touched down. I was conscious there were a lot of people waiting for us at the airport, but I also wanted to see the finale.
So, we pulled the curtains over in the plane – I’m sure everyone was wondering what was going on – and watched the DVD to the finish. There was my dad, Conor, the camera crew and the pilot. It was a very emotional moment, one you can’t plan.
Once we got off, to a great welcome, it was off to Portrush. Picture it! A police escort and a cavalcade of cars . . . . and chaotic, crazy, wonderful scenes when we got to Rathmore Golf Club. I was swamped by friends, family, members. Everyone.
They’d the Rathmore club flag on the wall and someone had gone to the trouble of getting posters made up of myself and the US Open trophy.
There followed what seemed like thousands of interviews and every TV station in Ireland and Britain as well as CNN were there, and then I did a QA with Shane O’Donoghue. I was delighted to see so many kids there and I think my hand was close to falling off with the number of autographs I signed.
Two weeks previously I’d enjoyed a brilliant party at the Wine Bar in Portrush after winning the Celtic Manor Wales Open. Who could have guessed that two weeks later I’d be back for an even bigger party after an even bigger win? I’ll tell you, it was a real celebration – and it was great Rory McIlroy and Paul Cutler were there.
Thursday, 24th June
A lie in. I’d almost forgotten the meaning of the expression, but it was a day for a bit of rest and relaxation after the efforts at Pebble Beach and then the demands – welcome and all as they were – of the following, whirlwind days.
That night, before sunset, I went for a long walk alone on the beach at Portrush. Peace, tranquillity and just me, alone with the thoughts and the sound of the waves.
Friday, 25th June
I took it easy for much of the morning and, then, in the afternoon attended a civic reception which the Coleraine Borough Council arranged. There had been suggestions of an open-top bus ride, but I preferred the lower-key approach and it was nice to meet young golfers from my old school, Coleraine Institute. The golf team there, let me tell you, is called the “Graeme McDowell Golf Team”.
Later on, I travelled over to stay with Rory at his place. He came over for the reception in Rathmore on the Wednesday and suggested it might not be a bad idea to come over to Holywood to get away from it all. He was right. There was another reason for the invitation – he’d arranged a little match with me for the following morning.
Saturday, 26th June
Rory had arranged a tee-time for us at Royal County Down and the club had closed off bookings around our time to give us an opportunity to go out in a two-ball. In an ideal world, we would loved if it was just Rory and myself and the magnificent links at RCD. But it’s impossible to keep these things entirely quiet, and we did have some company – a photographer for a few holes – and a few spectators who didn’t really bother us at all. It was a lovely and enjoyable way to play again . . . . and, if you must know, the US Open champion took the bragging rights.
After that, it was a case of getting back home to Portrush, kicking my feet up and watching some of the tennis from Wimbledon on the television. I needed a good sleep: I’d arranged another round of golf for the following morning!
Sunday, 27th June
My dad, Kenny, was the one who introduced me to golf. It wasn’t just me. My brothers George and Gary were also introduced to the sport by my dad – still a single figure golfer – and it was just like old times on Sunday morning as we went out for a family four-ball at Royal Portrush.
Of course, once we’d finished, there was a certain match in the World Cup that drew us in front of the television set. It was hard to believe, but a full week had come and gone since members of my club in Rathmore had been glued to the television with a lot more, thankfully, to cheer about than England’s football supporters.
