Taking a break: Graeme McDowell hopes it will be after The Open

Graeme McDowell has reconsidered his "knee-jerk" threat to miss next week's Scottish Open, which represents his last chance to qualify for the Open Championship.
Graeme McDowell during the final day at the Irish OpenGraeme McDowell during the final day at the Irish Open
Graeme McDowell during the final day at the Irish Open

McDowell suggested after his third round of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open that he might not compete at Gullane due to the effects of fatigue and missing his family following seven events in eight weeks.

However, the former US Open champion has had a change of heart and will try to claim one of the three places on offer via the Open Qualifying Series and avoid missing the Open for the second year in succession.

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"I was maybe feeling a bit of fatigue in the body yesterday and I was maybe just over-reacting a bit, " McDowell said after a closing 71 at Ballyliffin. "You make a couple of bogeys on the golf course and you have a lot of time to think out there and sometimes you come up with the wrong answers.

"The Open Championship is very important to me and I think I overreacted a little bit yesterday. It was a knee-jerk reaction. I slept on it and think it's important that I go there and be focused.

"I've played so much golf there's no point quitting now when we've got more Open spots up for grabs next week - the last chance saloon. I'll go home and rest a bit on Monday in Portrush, have some of my mum's home cooking, and head over to Scotland on Tuesday morning and get ready."

McDowell became the first European winner of the US Open in 40 years when he won at Pebble Beach in 2010, the same year he secured the winning point in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor.

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However, his last victory came back in 2015 and he began the week ranked 175th in the world, meaning the only major for which he is currently exempt is the US Open. His 10-year exemption will expire in 2020.

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