McDowell to play on US Tour next year

Ryder Cup hero Graeme McDowell has confirmed that he will be taking up US Tour membership next season.

The 30-year-old was a member earlier in his career but added: “I took my card in 2006 and then got injured at the start of that season so never really got a chance to experience it.

“I want to give it a go next year because it’s a non-Ryder Cup year.”

McDowell admitted today that he nearly spoke up when he heard he was down for the anchor role at Celtic Manor on Monday.

“I was on the verge of saying something,” he said, whose win over Hunter Mahan won the trophy back for Europe.

“I think I had a blank look on my face and I remember Thomas Bjorn saying to me ’GMac, you okay?’

“Paul McGinley (another vice-captain) asked me the night before where I might want to play and I don’t know how honest I was when I said ’Put me anywhere.’

“When Monty read out the order I was going to ask – and I did ask later - ’What do I do? How do I go about doing this?’

“I guess I knew the answer. It was all about trying to win my point and not look at the boards.”

McDowell, who looked at some of the highlights yesterday, also recalled what he thought when he was told that Edoardo Molinari had lost the last three holes to Rickie Fowler for only a half.

“Colin was there and asked if I wanted to know. I said ’I don’t know. Do you want to tell me?’

“He said ’You need to win.’ I thought ’S***!’ But I don’t think anything could have made me feel more nervous at the time anyway.”