Graeme McDowell determined to play in another Ryder Cup

Graeme McDowell. AP Photo/Charlie Riedel

Graeme McDowell has emphasised his desire to become a Ryder Cup captain and lead an exciting new nucleus of European players into golf’s greatest event.

Speaking in Dubai ahead of today’s opening round of the European Tour’s season finale, the DP World Tour Championship, McDowell has all the credentials to lead the continent in the biennial team matchplay contest against the USA.

A three-time Ryder Cup player who sank the winning putt in 2010 at Celtic Manor following that year’s US Open win at Pebble Beach, the Portrush golfer, 41, was one of Thomas Bjorn’s vice-captains in 2018 when Europe regained the trophy at Le Golf National.

Current captain Pádraig Harrington, also a vice-captain in Paris, has already confirmed Robert Karlsson and Luke Donald as two of his lieutenants for Whistling Straits next September following its 12-month delay due to Covid-19.

McDowell has to be a contender to continue in the role although having won the Saudi International on the European Tour pre-lockdown last February, he still has ambitions of playing in the intercontinental event once again.

With European qualifying points frozen until January, a strong showing this week at Jumeirah Golf Estates will not advance McDowell’s cause but he will restart in the New Year on the bubble, 10th in the World Points lists and 25th on the European Points table.

“I still harbour outside hopes, beliefs and dreams of making a Ryder Cup team as a player,” McDowell said when a 2021 vice-captaincy was broached. “Goal number one is to make it as a player.

“But if I don’t, I want to be a captain one day.

“Does that captaincy in 2027 at Adare Manor have my name on it? Who knows? If I’m not playing, being a vice-captain and being at these Ryder Cups and being with these players, watching the next generation of heroes coming through in Europe and being someone these guys can trust, I think is something I will look to work on over the next six years.”

Last weekend’s PGA Tour victory for Norway’s Viktor Hovland and two European Tour wins for Denmark’s 19-year-old Rasmus Hojgaard have been celebrated by McDowell as evidence of an exciting future generation from Europe.

“The backbone of why Europe was so successful in the 90s was Monty, Faldo, Seve, Lyle, Langer and then you move into the Westwoods, Clarkes, Donalds, Poulters, Caseys, Harringtons, Stensons, myself, Donalds. Francesco (Molinari)… we missed out Sergio.

“And now we’re moving into the Rory, Rahm, Tommy, Tyrrell Hatton.… The next generation is starting to separate themselves, which is exciting.”