McDowell: I wouldn’t pick myself for the Ryder Cup
GRAEME McDOWELL has been a rock for Europe at the last four Ryder Cups and must be a contender for a wildcard this time in a team full of rookies. But ask if he feels he should get one for the first time in his illustrious career and he answers with trademark candour. ‘My race is all but run for the Ryder Cup and I wouldn’t pick me right now,’ he said, disarmingly. ‘I don’t feel like my game is in any deep, dark doldrums and I could find my form in two months. ‘But, from a picks point of view, you have to say there are a lot of guys playing better than me right now. ‘You’ve got the likes of Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer, Shane Lowry and Russell Knox. So I’m realistic about it.’ There’s no question Europe captain Darren Clarke would love his fellow Portrush native to give him a good excuse to pick him but, sadly, none has been forthcoming during a troubled season that has seen McDowell muster just one top-five finish, and comfortably miss the cut at the US PGA. ‘I drove the ball badly, which is not like me at all, and I can’t compete when I do that,’ he said. ‘It’s insane how good the top players are from the tee and I’ve no chance when I’m 30 yards behind in the rough. I’ve been putting too much pressure on myself and trying too hard.’ McDowell will take a fortnight off to ‘press the reset button’ before playing two events in a last-ditch effort to impress the skipper. On August 29 Clarke will sit down with his vice-captains to finalise selections. On the same day McDowell will accompany his wife Kristin to hospital for the C-section delivery of their second child. ‘It’s either going to be a phenomenal day or an absolutely off-the-charts day,’ he said, with a rueful smile.