McDowell keeps Open mind on Ryder chances

While torrential rain stalled Graeme McDowell’s RBC Heritage Classic defence, his goal of making this year’s Ryder Cup team remains on track as he believes his best two chances of collecting another Major will come at he US and British Opens.

McDowell arrived in Hilton Head lying 14th overall in the Ryder rankings, five places outside of automatically qualifying for Paul McGinley’s European Team.

And after his Augusta anguish, where McDowell missed the halfway cut for the fifth time in seven Augusta appearances, he’s already looking ahead to his “best two chances” of performing well this year.

“My two best chances of winning another Major championship are now coming up in the US Open and the British Open,” he said.

“When I set my schedule at the start of the year, and the 25 weeks I will play Augusta doesn’t factor into my top 15 best chances of performing well. It just doesn’t.

“I need a firm, fast week when I can putt the lights out like Nick Faldo used to do [Faldo walking past at the time].

“Maybe Nick Faldo can tell me one day how to play well in the Masters? He’s never offered it up, so far.”

Faldo responded: “One only has to ask.

“There is no point making assumptions. My door is always open if you want to learn my wisdom.”

And while two of his Medinah winning team-mates in Lee Westwood and Luke Donald put themselves into contention to win this week, McDowell is not about to hit the Ryder Cup selection panic button.

Westwood is four shots clear heading to the third round of the Maybank Malaysian Open while Donald was in the Hilton Head clubhouse ahead of the rain delay and just three shots off the lead.

“Of course, I want to be a member of Paul’s team but I will worry about it when the times comes,” stressed McDowell

“I would be fairly worried about it come August, but you really can’t worry about it right now and it’s going to be one of the things that is going to happen as a result of processes.

“I know if I play the kind of golf I want to play, and I know I am capable of playing then I will get onto the team.

“I am already there or thereabouts but then I am under no illusions I will need 100 world ranking points between now and the end of August.

“That translates into a Major championship win or two other wins, so I’m going to need some solid results.”

McDowell had picked up two birdies to be sharing eighth place on two under par after six holes when torrential rain at 3pm local time forced an abandonment to play.

Korea’s K.J. Choi (67) held the clubhouse lead at five under par.