Graeme McDowell is desperate to have some sort of involvement in the Ryder Cup at Adare Manor next year and is seeking a return to the DP World Tour.
Last summer, McDowell admitted to IrishGolfer.ie that he would dearly love to be the European captain next year but that unlikely ship has since sailed with Luke Donald agreeing to a third term, but the 2010 US Open winner is plotting a return to the DP World Tour and would love to get back into Irish Opens again.
G Mac is not a member of the DP World Tour but has paid his outstanding fines and is keen to go through the return to play process sooner rather than later.
“I have my previous fines all paid off, but I’m sort of at a kind of zero level with the DP World Tour,” McDowell.” told BBC Sport NI.
“At that point I’d ask them what they’d want me to do, how many events that might look like and see if that is a workload that I’m willing to take.
“Clearly I miss the Irish Open, I miss being able to play a few of those events in September and October like the Dunhill Links, events that I care about a lot, so I’ll certainly ask the question and see what that looks like for me.”
As for the Ryder Cup, he added: “Even if I was able to take my membership, I would still fall short of the rules that I haven’t been a continuing member of the DP World Tour now for the last three years, so I do fall short of that regulation, which I understand,” he added.
“The rule has been around for a long time and that would have to change to open up that door for me to have the opportunity, but I obviously would be open to do what I could to be at Adare Manor next year.”
It appeared that McDowell was on the textbook journey to a Ryder Cup captaincy at Adare Manor. The Portrush man made his debut at Valhalla in 2008 before playing a starring role in three consecutive victories in 2010, 2012 and 2014.
The 46-year-old also served as a vice captain on two occasions: to Thomas Bjorn (2018) and Pádraig Harrington (2021).
McDowell boasts an impressive Ryder Cup record earning nine points from 15 matches (60% success rate), while he holed the winning putt at the 2010 edition at Celtic Manor which went to a Monday finish.
Two years later, G-Mac was part of the greatest Ryder Cup victory of all time as Europe produced a comeback for the ages coming from 10-6 down ahead of the Sunday singles to beat the USA in a contest forever known as the ‘Miracle at Medinah.’
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