Graeme McDowell believes he has extra incentive to perform well at next week’s International Series Macau presented by Wynn – with three spots up for grabs at The Open on his home course at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland this summer.

The US$2million Macau event tees-off next Thursday at Macau Golf and Country Club  and in-form McDowell, who plays for Smash GC on LIV Golf, is relishing the prospect of teeing it up.

Speaking on the sidelines of LIV Golf Singapore this week, the 2010 US Open winner said: “Obviously it is a great opportunity next week in Macau to have three Open Championship spots. Especially for me with it being Royal Portrush, my hometown, there is a little bit of extra motivation there.

Graeme McDowell. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.

“Obviously the focus is on this weekend. It is a very, very important weekend and then we will turn our attention to Macau next week. But for me, I feel like I am starting to feel more comfortable with what I am trying to do out here. I feel like the first couple of seasons I really did not have a purpose. I did not really know what my purpose was.

“I am really starting to kind of see the light again as pathways to these majors start to emerge. Small, but there is light at the end of the tunnel for sure.

“To me, I feel my purpose – the bigger picture, I guess. I feel like the first couple seasons you were so focused every week on just the ‘now’, when I felt like most of my career there was always something else out there that you were working towards, which helped nearly numb the present and get you cranking and pushing forward.

“I love being in a team like this (Smash GC) where I feel like there’s a bigger purpose, something bigger to play for, and obviously looking to try and get back into a couple of the majors would be amazing.”

The 45-year-old tied for 12th at LIV Golf Hong Hong last week.