McDowell wins 2008 Scottish Open

Ireland’s Graeme McDowell held on to an overnight lead in the 2008 Scottish Open to claim his first title at Loch Lomond on Sunday.

McDowell started the day tied for first place with England’s Simon Khan. The two remained neck-and-neck over the front nine before McDowell pulled away with three consecutive birdies starting on the 12 hole.

With a 3 shot advantage, McDowell had the luxury of dropping a shot on the 17th before easing home with par on the 18th. Khan’s game fell apart as McDowell excelled, and the Englishman dropped 3 shots to finish in 5th place.

“This is just incredible,” MacDowell told reporters after his win. “I don’t think I have ever shaken as much as I did coming down the stretch.”

McDowell’s performance netted him over £500,000 in prize money, as well as sufficient Ryder Cup points to virtually guarantee him a place in the European Ryder Cup team.

James Kingston took second place at the 2008 Scottish Open, while Miguel Angel Jiminez and Richard Green finished tied for 3rd on 71 for the tournament.

After putting in a promising performance in the second round, world number two Phil Mickelson had to make to with a share of 37th place after scoring a dreadful round of 73 on the final day.