Graeme McDowell has credited the Inverness track with sharpening up his links game ahead of this week’s Open at Royal Troon.
McDowell’s final round of 71 yesterday meant he finished on nine-under-par at the Scottish Open, five shots behind winner Alex Noren.
It was the Northern Irishman’s first return to Castle Stuart since the competition was first staged at the venue in 2011, having opted against playing in the two subsequent years after claiming the tournament had lost its prestige due to the course not being strong enough.
The former US Open winner admitted earlier this week he was wrong to criticise the course, and believes his joint-10th-place finish sets him up well for the Open.
McDowell said: “I hit the ball fantastically this weekend. My ball shaping is back, I’ve got a nice fade back in the bag which I really need for Troon and I’m working on a couple of small shots I’ll need off the tee. I’m really happy with the way things are trending.
“Tee-to-green, I couldn’t fault the way I played the first 15 or 16 holes. I hit a lot of good shots and gave myself a lot of opportunities.”
The 36-year-old believes his performance at the Scottish Open leaves room for improvement, adding: “I don’t think I did that well this weekend when conditions were a bit easier and birdies were a little easier to get.
“I would have loved to have got a little closer.”