CALL IT fate, call it a rite of passage. But the journey taken by Graeme McDowell from the rugged seaside terrain of Portrush close by the Giant’s Causeway on the Antrim coast could only find a landmark its equal on this crop of turf on the Monterey peninsula hanging into the Pacific. A spectacular setting for an extraordinary odyssey.

As the sun dipped into a becalmed ocean on Sunday night, the roar of acclaim which greeted McDowell from those crammed in the grandstands and on the hillocks around the 18th green were eerily like those of old. Seismic roars which had once hailed Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson and Tom Kite and Tiger Woods were now reserved for a 30-year-old Ulsterman who alone had conquered the toughest examination in major golf, a player who held the US Open trophy in his hands as if it were too precious to let go.

McDowell, the 110th US Open champion, clutched the trophy and, adopted by the crowd as one of their own, gave them the cliches about filling the cup with Guinness and how he would never let it down. Just as he had done on the course, G-Mac – as he is known – wooed them with his charm and intelligent banter. Yet, behind the twinkle in the eye, there was recognition that he, more than anyone, knew this was his destiny.

Close-by, his father Kenny, who had introduced him to the sport as a seven-year-old, stood at the back of the green, sunglasses on to hide the tears as much as to block out the low sun, shaking his head.

Shortly after McDowell had rolled in the short par putt on the 72nd hole, his 284th stroke of a championship which had left carnage and chaos for other contenders, the father had run on to the green to embrace his son.

“Happy Father’s Day,” whispered McDowell.

“You’re some kid,” replied the dad.

Some kid, indeed.

In a final round in which the unfortunate Dustin Johnson, who had carried a three-stroke cushion into the final day, suffered a meltdown so cruel you wanted to look away, and in which some of the greatest names – Ernie Els, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods – could not step up to the plate, McDowell stayed cool and collected. So much so, his finishing 74 gave him a one-shot win over Gregory Havret of France.

By winning the US Open on the back of his victory in the Wales Open in his previous start, McDowell joined greatness. Only two others, Ben Hogan and Woods, had won the major in their next start after a regular tour win.

“Two of my heroes,” remarked McDowell, when informed of the stat.

McDowell, as he does, hung tough to win. Johnson, despite having won the last two ATT National Pro-Ams on the regular stop-off here each spring, was in unfamiliar territory in the majors. We didn’t have long to wait for the meltdown, which was extraordinary by any standards as he ran up a triple bogey on the second, and followed that by hooking his tee-shot into the trees on the third, which led to a lost ball and a double bogey.

In contrast, McDowell, with his experienced caddie Kenny Comboy keeping him on the level, played par golf before a birdie on the short fifth jumped him clear of those threatening in the matches ahead, most notably Ernie Els at the time, but also Havret, ranked 391st in the world going into the tournament but who played wonderfully well when thrown into the heat of battle.

Disaster, though, befell all of the big guns in turn. Woods, strutting the course with menace at one point, hit a three-wood over the cliffs on the sixth. Els would also flight a tee-shot over the edge of the sheer drop on the 10th. And Mickelson struggled in vain to find the inspiration or shots to follow up on his US Masters win in April.

Instead, as they came down the home stretch, Havret was the chief pursuer.

But, critically, McDowell literally had him in his sights as the Frenchman was in the match ahead, along with Woods. When Havret bogeyed from a greenside bunker on the 17th, it gave McDowell a two-stroke cushion. But McDowell also found sand there and bogeyed the hole.

Still, McDowell walked to the 18th tee with a one-shot cushion. Then, from just in front of the cypress trees on the final fairway, he could see that Havret failed to birdie the 18th. It led to a change of tactics from the Irishman, who abandoned any inclination to go for the green with his two-iron and instead hit a five-iron lay-up. Then, from 99 yards, he hit a wedge to 25 feet. Two putts later, McDowell was US Open champion.

“To withstand some tough holes the way Graeme did and to come out on top, he played great golf,” observed Mickelson. “I thought Graeme was playing very well headed in (to the tournament). He’s played very solid on a large stage a number of times. So, from a players’ point of view, this wasn’t a surprise, no.”

A surprise? No. But, in terms of taking a first major, McDowell’s timing and choice of venue to take his place in history was perfect.