Having shown the bottle to send home the winning putt in the
Ryder Cup two years ago at Celtic Manor, Graeme McDowell knows the atmosphere
away from home will be very different indeed.
The European team are preparing for the event near
sports-mad city, Chicago, where the USA team will receive superb support at
every tee, on every fairway and every green.
Having been lifted by the support two years ago, despite the
torrid conditions in Wales, McDowell and the rest of the Euro team know how
much an impact the fans can make.
The Northern Irishman has plenty of experience of playing
across the Atlantic and he has warned his teammates not to expect the warmest
of receptions at the Medinah Country Club.
He said: "There's a world of difference between playing
in front of your home fans and playing in front of the US fans.
"Putts that drop in front of your home fans are like a
bomb going off - and putts that go in this weekend will be like someone's got
the silencer on. It's like a muted applause.
"I remember Valhalla. The 14th was a very big natural
amphitheatre and one of the most intimidating holes as a European. You knew
when somebody birdied - you could hear it reverberating around the course.”
McDowell will be preparing for what is set to be a fiery
contest in Illinois and he has shown in the past that he has the nerve to play
under the most intense pressure the game can produce.
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