Graeme McDowell's thrilling Scandinavian Masters victory makes him the first of Britain and Ireland's Walker Cup 'class of 2001' to break through in the professional ranks.

McDowell's victory came just seven weeks after turning professional.

And it meant the 23-year-old from Northern Ireland beat contemporaries Luke Donald and Nick Dougherty to the winner's rostrum.

Donald and Dougherty were team-mates of McDowell in that Walker Cup win over a strong USA side at Sea Island, Georgia, in 2001.

McDowell was particularly pleased to get in before Donald, who has been tipped to claim a title on the US Tour this year after a glittering amateur career.

"It is a great feeling to be the first to make it from the Walker Cup team," said McDowell after winning in only his fourth European Tour event.

"I did not think I would be the first.

"Luke Donald was a year ahead of me and he was my inspiration. I measured my own game against his."

McDowell, a nine-time winner of collegiate events when he studied at University of Alabama, Birmingham is modest about his achievements before turning pro.

'An embarrasment'

But the experience of winning stood him in good stead down the closing stretch at Kungsangen on Sunday.

"When I first turned pro I got labelled as the player who had a better stroke average than Tiger Woods and that was a lot to handle at the start of my career," said McDowell.

"To say that I had beaten Tiger Woods at anything was an embarrassment to me and put me under a lot of pressure.

"But there is no doubt my experience at college was a great help to me in keeping calm when things went a little bit wrong."

McDowell's thoughts now turn to this week's Wales Open at Celtic Manor where Irishman Paul McGinley is defending champion.