Graeme McDowell: NI golfer looking to continue his ‘rebuild’ after 16th place at US Open

Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell has said he is looking to build on his momentum after moving back into the world's top 100 at the US Open.

The former world number four, who had dropped as low as 257th in the rankings, moved up to 89th after sharing 16th position at Pebble Beach.

The performance continued his recent good form, which last week saw him seal a place in The Open at Royal Portrush.

“I feel like I'm 25 or 30 again, trying to climb the ladder,” he said.

“I've done it once and I maybe didn't appreciate it at the time, because I missed it a lot when it went away.

“I made good progress [at the the US Open] and it helped to continue my rebuild, the aim of which is to get myself back up to the top where I'm competing with the top players in the world every week.

“Getting back into the top 100 is a big step and I appreciate it a lot more than I ever did. It requires consistency and great golf – I'm very proud of how I've been able to ground out the last six months.”

Portrush man McDowell needed a 30-foot putt on the 18th hole to finish tied for eighth at the Canadian Open earlier this month and qualify for what will be his hometown Open in July.

The 39-year-old is looking forward to taking part in an event he helped bring to Royal Portrush, and is also excited about the the Irish Open at Lahinch before then.

“I've got a couple of adjustments to make to my golf bag, with my three iron and five wood especially to get the ball rolling along the ground a bit more,” McDowell continued.

“I haven't been to Lahinch in a long time and it goes without saying that I can't wait to get to Portrush to play The Open.

“I'm going to go there for a few days before the Irish Open to get my links groove going early, so that by the time I get back to Portrush I will know what I'm doing.”

The Irish Open takes place at Lahinch from 4-7 July, while The Open at Royal Portrush is on from 18-21 July.