Graeme McDowell, StrokeAverage.com’s latest client winner on the PGA European Tour was taking a chilled out approach to his preparations for the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale Golf Club, just four days after notching up the biggest of his four PGA European Tour wins so far.

The 27-year-old from Portrush, who claimed the £500,000 winner’s cheque in the Scottish Open to all but seal his place in Europe’s Ryder Cup team travelling to Kentucky in September, is playing his fifth golf tournament in a row this week.

But the Ulsterman, who also won the Ballantine’s Championship in Korea in March, is not worried about fatigue going into the third golf Major of the 2008 season.

Graeme McDowell said: “It’s the biggest tournament on the planet next week so I should be able to get myself up for it. But if things don't work out, so be it.

“I've given myself a great run these last three weeks. I've put some Ryder Cup points on the board, which is what I set out to do. I really targeted this run of five events. Hopefully I've left something in the tank.

“I really didn't have too much planned as far as practice and preparation. I played the golf course already and I was really going to go with a chilled-out approach.”

And should lightning strike twice and the former Walker Cup star find himself leading after the first round as he did two years ago at Royal Liverpool Golf Club, the golfer from Northern Ireland will face the remaining three rounds in a much more confident mood.

He revealed: "When I led in 2006 I wasn't playing particularly well. I just had one of those rounds where everything went in the fairway and I holed a few putts and bang, I was leading the Open.

“But I didn't have the belief in my swing that I do now. I've worked very hard with my coach, Clive Tucker, the last year-and-a-half to have a golf swing which I can trust a bit more down the stretch under pressure.

“I’ve been able to shape the ball both ways, especially from left to right, that's a shot I've never really had in the bag over the years.

“I have a lot more belief, a lot more trust in my game than I did a couple of years ago, and if I get that chance again this week I think I'll be able to do something a little different with it.”

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