After the strong certainty of losing Rory McIlroy next year to the PGA Tour it’s believed former U.S. Open champion, Graeme McDowell is strongly considering returning in 2012 to play full time on the European Tour.
McDowell has struggled in the States this year missing the halfway cut in four of 11 FedEx Cup counting events.
Graeme McDowell could be thinking of a return in 2012 to Europe. (Photo - Fran Caffrey/www.golffile.ie)
But what could be uppermost concern for McDowell is a change in the qualifying process for the 2012 European Ryder Cup side.
McDowell holed the winning Celtic Manor putt last October after having automatically qualified from the European Points table.
But as a PGA Tour member, McDowell’s chances of automatically qualifying from the World Points table will be diminished for 2012 as the World Points table will be the secondary manner in qualifying with the European Points list now to take priority.
It means if McDowell remains a PGA Tour member he will have to play the mandatory 15 events but also face fighting the likes of McIlroy, Padraig Harrington, Luke Donald, Ian Poutler, Sergio Garcia, Justin Rose, Robert Karlsson, Freddie Jacobsson and other PGA Tour based Europeans for selection.
McDowell’s no doubt guessing he stands a better chance that by concentrating on the European Tour, he would stand a better chance of qualifying automatically for Jose Maria Olazabal’s side.
“I want to see how the Ryder Cup qualifying format works and I’ve had time to reflect and see how I feel, and next year is a Ryder Cup year, so I will see if I’m playing here or not next year,” McDowell said after carding a two over par second round 72 in Akron, Ohio.
“I’m not saying I’m definitely not going to play on PGA Tour. All I am saying is that I am going to suck it and see.
“At this point my schedule hasn’t changed as I want to play the FedEx, and we’ll see how that goes.”
Four players, Australia’s Adam Scott (70) and the American trio of Rickie Fowler (64), Ryan Moore (66) and Keegan Bradley (75), head the event on eight under par.
Sweden’s Robert Karlsson (65) and newly-married Scot Martin Laird (67) are the best placed Europeans and just one stroke off the Firestone lead.
Tiger Woods’ return to competition continued on track with the former long time World No. 1 sharing 36th place at one under par after rounds of 68 and 71.
With McDowell trailing 11 strokes in arrears, he’s now thinking of being prepared for next week’s U.S. PGA Championship in Atlanta.
“I drove the ball well today which was my weakness yesterday so it was the opposite today,” he said
“It’s a golf course where you can go low and where you can be aggressive with your irons but you have to drive it well, and you can make a score as Adam (Scott) showed in shooting a 62 yesterday.
“But it’s hard now not to be thinking about next week. The PGA was in the back on my mind at the start of the week and now it’s in the forefront. These last two days are about competitive practice for the U.S. PGA.
“However I have to work first and foremost on my attitude a little bit, and get my head around playing the golf course correctly, and given also is it going to be very hot next week in Atlanta.”
