FedEx Cup has not been kind to McDowell

Graeme McDowell joined the PGA Tour after winning the 2010 US Open at Pebble Beach, making him eligible for the PGA Tour playoffs for the FedEx Cup.

So far, his post season forays have been an exercise in futility.

“FedEx has been tough for me the last few years,” said McDowell, who will try to turn things around this week in the Deutsche Bank Championship, the second event of the playoffs, after missing the cut in the Barclays.

“I haven’t really got into it, if you like. This is probably the first year I’m going in there with some certain numbers on the board. I’m guaranteed the first three (events). I kind of know what I have to do to get into the Tour Championship and sort of set that as my goal at the start of the year, to get into the Tour Championship. I wanted to experience that a little bit.”

McDowell shot 71-72—143 to miss the weekend by one stroke at the Barclays, and he slipped 16 spots to 44th in the FedEx Cup standings. He needs high finishes in the Deutsche Bank and the BMW Championship to climb back into the top 30 and make the field for the Tour Championship.

“It’s so volatile,” said McDowell, who is in much better position in the Race to Dubai on the European Tour, trailing only Henrik Stenson. “It’s a very, very different format from what we’re used to in regular golf throughout history.

“The best player wins the money list, wins the best player of the year.

The FedEx playoffs, you can go in having a phenomenal season ... Pádraig Harrington wins two major championships (in 2008) and doesn’t get into the Tour Championship.

“So that just about sums up how volatile the FedEx has been. It is what it is. You have just got to go in there and play aggressive and try to put some numbers up.”