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McDowell's career path takes major step forward

European Tour News round-up: Graeme McDowell's most impressive season of his fledgling professional career is set to have major…

Tue Oct 12 2004 - 01:00

European Tour News round-up: Graeme McDowell's most impressive season of his fledgling professional career is set to have major spin-offs, Philip Reid reports

Although just over two years as a professional, the 25-year-old's move up to sixth position on the European Tour's money list, with just three weeks of the official season remaining means, he is guaranteed to finish in the top 15 and, consequently, earn exemptions into next year's British Open and US Open championships.

These exemptions are cast in stone for the top 15 finishers on the Order of Merit. However, McDowell can realistically expect to play in next year's two other majors, the US Masters and the US PGA. There is no guaranteed exemption into Augusta from the European Tour's Order of Merit but, significantly, in recent years, the Masters has extended invitations to those who have finished in the top 15 who are not in the world's top 50.

With the US PGA operating arguably the most favourable policy of all in issuing invitations to players they feel are worthy, it is conceivable McDowell could play in all four majors in 2005, which would mark a significant move in his career path.

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Last Sunday's play-off defeat to Stephen Gallacher in the Dunhill Links Championship gave McDowell his biggest pay day as a professional, netting him €430,105 and taking his season's haul to €1,584,037. It was his ninth top-10 finish of the season, including victory in the Italian Open, but his eyes are looking towards competing with the big guns in the majors.

As he remarked, "I believe I can win a major, but it is a learning process. There are very few guys who move up to the next league and are able to play to their ability straight away. There's a bit of a breaking-in process. My next step is to make the cut in a major and to have a good finish."

In his majors debut in the British Open at Royal Troon in July, and then the US PGA at Whistling Straits in August, McDowell failed to survive the cut. Since missing that cut in the US PGA, though, McDowell has taken a step forward with three top-10 finishes in his last five tournaments.

However, his move to a career-high 63rd in the world rankings, following his runner-up finish to Gallacher, has come a little too late to force his way into Ireland's World Cup team which takes place in Seville, Spain, next month.

McDowell has now moved ahead of Paul McGinley, who is 67th, in the world rankings. But the criteria used in selecting the two-man team (Padraig Harrington and McGinley will represent Ireland) was to select the two highest available players off the rankings on September 20th.

McDowell, who has played in 29 tournaments on the European Tour this season, but who plans to take up some invitations to play on the US Tour early in 2005, takes a break from tournament action this week. While Harrington is the lone Irish player in the elite, 16-man field for the World Matchplay at Wentworth, four others - Peter Lawrie, Gary Murphy, Damien McGrane and Philip Walton - are in the field for the Mallorca Classic. While the event in Wentworth offers a world's top prize of £1 million to the winner, the entire field in Mallorca are playing for €1 million, with the winner taking €166,660.

Sergio Garcia turned down a place in Wentworth in order to play in Mallorca - which would indicate some pressure from his sponsors - but, for others playing in the Spanish event, there's the incentive of securing places in the season-ending Volvo Masters in Valderrama, which is confined to the top 60 players on the Order of Merit after next week's Madrid Open.

Murphy, who is 82nd in the money list, and Lawrie, who is 88th, need two good weeks if they are to force a way into the top 60 and secure one of those invitations to Valderrama.

On the other side of the Atlantic, Darren Clarke will be attempting to secure his position in the top 30 of the US Tour's money list to earn a place in the season-ending Tour Championship. Clarke, who is 26th in the list, has added this week's Greater Greensboro Open at Forest Oaks to his schedule in a bid to copper-fasten a place in the elite field at Atlanta, the week after the Volvo Masters.