15 Jun 2011

McDowell free to defend US Open title

1:39 pm on 15 June 2011

Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell says he's feeling free to defend his US Open golf title, now that he's returned the trophy he won last year at Pebble Beach.

Explaining his feeling of liberation, McDowell says it's tough to look forward when all everyone wants to talk about is the past, and although it was a special 12 months that included a Ryder Cup win and three other titles, he immediately felt different on the course having returned the trophy.

McDowell feels his game is coming right after a struggle for the last three months.

He starts his US Open defence at the Congressional Country club in Maryland on Friday morning.