Wednesday 5 February 2020 13:40, UK
Graeme McDowell has set his sights on a further charge up the world rankings ahead of returning to the site of his major victory at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
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The Northern Irishman jumped back inside the world's top 50 for the first time since 2015 with victory at the Saudi International last week, less than a year after being outside the world's top 250.
McDowell's win secures him entry into the World Golf Championship events along with a potential return to the Masters for the first time since 2016, providing he remains in the top 50 at the end of March, with the 40-year-old looking to make the most of his recent success.
"When you're on the outside looking in, when you're not in those WGCs and the majors, they nearly have a self-perpetuating world-ranking cycle and the top 50 feels an awfully long way away," McDowell said.
"At [World No] 47 you could be one week away from falling back outside of that, so obviously establishing myself into the top 30, top 20, that's what I really want.
"I think this will pretty much get me in Mexico [WGC-Mexico Championship] in a couple of weeks' time, pretty much guaranteed World Match Play, which is really important to me, and I think Memphis [WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational] as well.
"So just to be back in those, I think I'll appreciate them a lot more this time around. I think all those years where it's expected, maybe you don't appreciate what it is and what they are and how important they are at the time."
McDowell's return to Pebble Beach comes 10 years on from his US Open victory at the California course, with the four-time Ryder Cup player still hopeful of contending in a major in the future.
"Lots of great memories that week, of course, but [the best is] probably coming up the last and just having two putts from 25 feet to win a US Open," McDowell added.
"You visualise that as a kid standing on the putting green and then all of a sudden you're like, 'Well, yeah, I've got two to win a major championship here'.
"One of my big goals is to get myself back up in the top 20 and have a chance to experience that back nine at a major championship again with a chance to win."
Watch the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage begins on Thursday with Featured Groups from 4pm on Sky Sports Golf.
