Picked up the sport at age 7 with his brothers at the urging of his dad.

Says standing on the 18th green at Pebble Beach after winning the U.S. Open is his biggest thrill in golf.

Played numerous sports as a youngster, but, as he says, "golf always won."

Earned an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Ulster.

Played a prominent role in Great Britain and Ireland's retention of the Walker Cup in 2001 at Sea Island, Ga. At the University of Alabama-Birmingham, McDowell was ranked the top collegiate golfer in the United States, winning the 2002 Fred Haskins Award.