Graeme McDowell is considering withdrawing from the WGC – Bridgestone Invitational and the penultimate Ryder Cup qualifying event for those Europeans based on the PGA Tour.
And McDowell’s decision has nothing to do with the fact his first-born is due the same week at the no-cut $US 9m event in Akron, Ohio.
McDowell has spoken before about not travelling to Akron, Ohio given in his eight appearances since 2002 he’s finished no higher than T22nd in 2010.
Graeme McDowell considering not contesting this year’s WGC – Bridgestone Invitational. (Phone – www.golffile.ie)
“I have talked before about giving the Bridgestone a miss but then if I am on the Ryder Cup team by that point then the Bridgestone … well, let’s say I am keeping that one fluid,” he said.
“If I’ve got my Ryder Cup job done I might rest that week but it I don’t have my job done then I will have to go to Akron.
“And a big goal of mine this season was to stay as fresh and I can for the summer and that wasn’t the case going to Medinah two years ago and then the three FedEx Cup Series I’ve now contested.
“I felt I was in bad shape for those three FedEx Play-Off’s and I didn’t enjoy them and then two years ago that filtered through into Medinah as I didn’t play my best that weekend, and I felt I didn’t have much left in the tank.
“So I haven’t adapted myself well and I want to ready myself more to be ready for the FedEx Cup and then the Ryder Cup that means so much to me because firstly I want to be on that team, and secondly I want to fresh and ready to play.”
After his lowly result in last week’s Players Championship McDowell dropped three places to 17th on the Ryder Cup points table and eight outside the top-nine automatic quailifers.
And with McDowell’s wife, Kristin expecting the week of the Bridgestone McDowell joked that his timing in becoming a father could not have been better.
“That’s great timing with the baby due at the end of August, but then it’s a great problem to have and I can’t complain,” he said.
“Though my timing could have been better but I wasn’t sure if it was going to work (smiling) and I really had not too much say in that.
“But this is all too much information and I’ve already said enough (still smiling).”
And while McDowell has elected not to contest this week’s Bryon Nelson Championship in Dallas, Padraig Harrington has made his way back to the Lone Star State and competing for a third year running on the TPC Four Seasons Resort course in suburban Irving.
