GRAEME McDOWELL was left physically and mentally drained by his exertions at the Ryder Cup, to the extent that he was laid low by flu-like symptoms for several days immediately following the match at Gleneagles.
Yet the 35-year-old Northern Irishman is adamant that he has regained his energy in time to make a successful defence of his Volvo World Matchplay title this week at the London Club.
McDowell, who will play the Frenchman Alexander Levy - winner of last week's curtailed Portugal Masters - in the openings session of group matches today, said: "I am excited about my defence. I was able to keep the matchplay switch flicked on the last couple weeks, and I look forward to continuing hopefully where I left off at Gleneagles and win a couple matches and get myself into the nitty gritty over the weekend.
"As an amateur, I was a good match player but, when you turn pro, you get into the strokeplay mindset and you lose the ability to play matchplay. But after a couple of good runs in Tucson at the Accenture World Matchplay, and having won some singles matches at Ryder Cups, I've got my matchplay instincts back.
"The short game and putting is a great equaliser in matchplay and my putting has been one of my strengths over the years. We are missing a few headliners like Rory and Westwood but it's a very solid field, and when you look at the trophy and the names on it, this tournament deserves a great spot in the calendar."
It was a measure of McDowell's standing as a match player in the eyes of Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley that he was chosen to lead from the front in the singles, but McDowell confessed to having been bitterly disappointed that he and the French rookie Victor Dubussion were rested from the Saturday morning fourballs, until it was explained to him that McGinley had earmarked him for a key role in his overall strategy.
"Paul, in Sir Alex Ferguson fashion, told me that he had a bigger plan for me," he added. "He said he wanted me fresh for Saturday afternoon because I was going to lead the team off on Sunday. Although I was disappointed, I understood.
"I remember hearing Ferguson dealing with his players the same way, if they had been left out of the big game. It wasn't that he was benching them and that was an end to it. It was because he had a bigger plan for them. There was a match next week and he wanted them ready for it.
"McGinley did that with me and that was a little insight into his man-management and how to deal with players when you're benching them: To be open with communication."
Scotland's Stephen Gallacher, one of McGinley's three wild cards, faces Irishman Shane Lowry from a group which also includes Ryder Cup team-mate Dubuisson and Spaniard Pablo Larrazabal.
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