Graeme McDowell says he’s proud to have secured a fourth Ryder Cup in qualifying automatically for next month’s European Ryder Cup side.
McDowell locked-in the ninth and final automatic spot after Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher gallantly fell one shot shy of securing second place in the Italian Open in Turin.
G Mac had been glued to the TV early yesterday (SUN) US time watching events unfold in Turin, and with Gallacher needing to finish top-two to knock out McDowell and secure the ninth and remaining automatic European Team place.
Gallacher looked set to deny McDowell when muscled his way into second with six birdies in his opening eight holes.
Double celebration for Graeme McDowell with the birth on Monday of his daughter and celebrating Sunday with a fourth (Not a 3rd as G Mac mentioned on Twitter) European Ryder Cup cap.
However the Scot then stalled playing the last 10 holes in just one under par.
The writing was then on the wall for Gallacher when he ‘blocked’ his tee shot right at the 18th and then put his second into a greenside bunker from where he needed to hole his third to tie England’s David Howell in second place on 18-under par.
And with McDowell no doubt on the end of his chair, the former U.S. Open champ had qualified for McGinley’s team when Gallacher eventually walked off with a par.
“It’s nice to have qualified automatically as I didn’t want to have to rely on a pick, and besides I’ve never been a pick,” said McDowell.
“So I’m very proud, proud to have qualified automatically for my fourth Ryder Cup and proud now to be a member of Captain McGinley’s team.
“I’m also excited to be a part of the Gleneagles team as I feel I have experienced everything I can experience that goes with a Ryder Cup.
“I’ve been in a losing team. I’ve been in two winning teams. I’ve hit the first shot of a Ryder Cup (2012) and I’ve hit the last shot to win the 2010 Ryder Cup. I’ve played both sides of the Atlantic.
“So now that I’m in the team I am making a promise to myself that I am going over there to enjoy it, and I’m going to try and shrug the pressure off and try now to embrace it and enjoy it rather than getting all tense and feeling like it’s all pretty painful.”
And after wishing Gallacher well last week at the close of competing in the Barclays Championship, McDowell was just as sporting in warmly congratulating the Scot in going so close to automatic Gleneagles selection.
“It’s been pretty intense stuff the last couple of weeks watching what has been going on in Prague and then this week in the Italian Open, so it was hard not to ignore,” said McDowell.
“I have to congratulate Stephen Gallacher as he’s given it all finishing seventh in the Czech Masters and coming up one place short of qualifying automatically today in Turin.
“No one would have begrudged Stephen qualifying automatically and hopefully he’s done enough in Paul’s eyes to earn a pick.
“I will be flying to Denver at the time Paul’s announcing his picks, so all I can do is play well there and get myself into the Tour Championship a week later in Altanta.”
