GOLF: Champion McDowell plans rest

The Portrush man, who turns 31 in just under two weeks, has spent plenty of time enjoying his surprise win at Pebble Beach in June but he admitted it had not been the best preparation for the Open.

"There is a new major champion (Open winner Louis Oosthuizen) and that takes the focus off me a little bit and there is definitely going to be that bit of me coming down," said McDowell.

"That is good because I need to re-set, rest up and get ready for a big three weeks and a big end of the season."

After finishing in a share of 23rd at St Andrews, alongside off-form 14-time major winner Tiger Woods, he plans to draw a line under his celebrations.

Following a well-deserved week off he hopes to return refreshed and ease himself back into things at the Irish Open before travelling to the United States to challenge at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and the US PGA Championship, the final major of the year, at Whistling Straits.

He said: "I'm not going to do much this week, lay low and maybe hit the odd ball at Portrush but I've a lot of rest planned to recharge the batteries.

"The Open was maybe a week too soon. I could have probably done with using those two weeks after Pebble a bit more wisely but you want to celebrate and enjoy yourself.

"I'm down from cloud nine to about cloud five. There was definitely a sense of coming down last week.

"I tried hard to focus but it was difficult. Maybe I'm lacking that killer edge, that grind.

"But I wouldn't change it for the world. I'm very much looking forward to the Irish Open at Killarney and then moving on to Firestone and then the US PGA."