Impression of the day

Five questions for Graeme McDowell

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Graeme McDowell

Graeme McDowell discusses the world of golf and how it has left an impression on him.

What were your earliest memories of watching golf, either in person or on television?
It would be staying up late to watch The Masters on the BBC. I guess it would have been around the late 1980s at the time when a lot of European players like Ian Woosnam and Nick Faldo were doing brilliantly over there. In those days before Sky TV there wasn't a lot of golf on television so watching The Masters was really exciting and it really left an impression.

Did you have a golfing idol growing up?
There was a guy in Belfast called Gareth McKimsey who was a fantastic amateur player who was someone I tried to emulate growing up. He was certainly good enough to turn professional but he didn't go down that road for whatever reason.

What do you admire most about the sport?
The way it's played in general, from professionals down to club players, is very sporting. Even in the most pressured situations guys call shots on themselves and show a lot of class and sportsmanship. I think golf can be proud of that.

And what about courses around the world that have left an impression on you?
It would have to be Augusta. I played there for the first time in 2005 and it's just a wonderful place with a magical feeling. It was certainly one of my lifetime ambitions to play there in the Masters. I was lucky enough to go back there with my dad last year and we played the course together which is a wonderful memory.

And if you could only play one more round, where would that be?
I'd have to say Portrush, where I grew up. Just a wonderful golf course with a lot of happy memories.

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