Four-time Ryder Cup star Graeme McDowell believes Scotland’s Russell Knox is deserving of a Hazeltine ‘wildcard’ pick.
McDowell is making his first appearance in this week’s Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, North Carolina.
It is the final Ryder Cup counting event on the PGA Tour for European Tour members.
And while McDowell, who is 11 places outside of qualifying, is not so positive about his own chances of competing in a fifth straight European Team he believes Knox, who is lying one spot off automatically qualifying, deserves a pick even though the Scot has elected not to contest this week’s $US 5.6m event.
Graeme McDowell is joined for three holes over the back nine in today’s Pro-Am by fellow Irishman Shane Lowry & both making their debut in the Wyndham Championship.
“Russell’s the 19th ranked player in the world and he’s on form, so it would be pretty tough for Darren (Clarke) not to pick him right now,” said McDowell after participating in today’s Pro-Am.
“And in saying that I can understand why he’s not playing this week in Greensboro as it’s such a balance out here.
“It’s a balance of trying to force things and just sticking to the schedule you set yourself at the start of the season so that you can peak for the biggest prize in all of golf, the FedEx Cup Play-Offs.
“So sometimes you have to be selfish and other times you lay your life down for team so there is a balance there, so I don’t blame Russell for not being here coming off the back of a win.
“But then I think he’s done enough to earn a European Team cap whether or not he’s playing this week.”
