Triple Ryder Cup star Graeme McDowell is now quietly confident of avoiding a Gleneagles ‘wildcard’ pick in making the halfway cut at the Barclays Championship in New Jersey.

McDowell kept well alive his Ryder Cup automatic selection goal in posting a second round three under par 68 to move to four under par and just three shots behind the leading trio of Jim Furyk (69), Kevin Chappell (67) and Cameron Todd (69) in the last qualifying event for the PGA Tour based Europeans.

The soon-to-be new father arrived at the Ridgewood Country Club course right on the bubble in ninth place of those who will qualify automatically at the close next Sunday night August 31st of the Italian Open.

Enhancing McDowell’s quest to avoid a first ‘wildcard’ pick was 10th placed Luke Donald missing the New Jersey cut with scores of 71 and 74.

However McDowell’s only concern is the efforts in the Czech Open of Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher who, after missing the cut in his past two events Stateside, is tied in third place and just two shots from the lead.

The Scot is also just two spots in 11th place outside of the automatic nine and would leap-frog both Donald and McDowell should he win tomorrow (SUN) for a second time this year.

Graeme McDowell ‘horsing’ around with Rory McIlroy at the 2012 Ryder Cup. (Photo – Fran Caffrey/www.golffile.ie)

“I was having breakfast this morning and looking on TV and seeing what Jamie (Donaldson) and Stephen Gallacher are doing, and it was pretty hard not to ignore,” said McDowell.

“I didn’t realise just how close Stephen was to me on the World Ranking Points table and what he’s doing over there in the Czech Republic now has my attention.

“There is nothing guaranteed when it comes to picks and if Stephen were to win there then all of a sudden there is going to be one pick less.

“So if Stevie gets himself inside the top-nine automatic spots then you don’t know what going to happen and that’s why making the cut here in New Jersey is big for me.

“You’ve got players right behind me like Donald, Poulter and Westwood needing picks also.”

McDowell has competed in the past three Ryder Cups including the joy of holing the 2010 winning putt at Celtic Manor but then the soon-to-be new father never had had to rely on a ‘wildcard’ pick.

“I’m not overly worried about it because if it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen and while I would be disappointed it’s not something that worries me,” he said

“I’ve played really solid the last couple of months, and I’m proud of the way I have played these last couple of months so if it doesn’t happen then it wasn’t meant to be.”

But then when it was put to McDowell he’s played in the last two winning Ryder Cups including being the hero on Colin Montgomerie’s side plus he’s also previously played Gleneagles he accepted that should he drop outside the top-nine McGinley will more than likely reward him with a ‘wildcard’ pick.

“Between us, I am very, very quietly confident I will get a pick if I should not make the top-nine,” he said.

“But then I don’t want a pick. I’ve never had to rely on a pick. I just want to qualify automatically.”