Graeme McDowell

Graeme McDowell (born 30 July 1979) is a professional golfer from Northern Ireland who plays on the European Tour.

McDowell was born in Portrush, Northern Ireland. Like an increasing number of promising junior Irish and UK golfers McDowell took a golf scholarship at an American university. He attended the University of Alabama at Birmingham from 1998 to 2002. In 2002, he won the Haskins Award for most outstanding collegiate golfer in the United States. In 2001 he was a member of the Great Britain and Ireland team which retained the Walker Cup at Sea Island in Georgia.

McDowell turned professional in 2002 and won that season's Volvo Scandinavian Masters, which was only his fourth start on the European Tour. He didn't win in his second season, but in 2004 he claimed the Telecom Italia Open and finished sixth on the European Tour Order of Merit. In 2005 he divided his time between the European and PGA Tours. He was not yet a full member of the PGA Tour but his top 50 placing in the Official World Golf Rankings ensured he received invitations to play in many events in the U.S. and McDowell managed two top ten finishes on the PGA Tour including tied second place at the Bay Hill Invitational which earned him enough money to become fully exempt on the PGA Tour in 2006.

However he failed to finish in the top 150 in the 2006 PGA Tour money list and decided to return to the European Tour in 2007.

In 2008 he returned to the winners enclosure by winning first the Ballantine's Championship in Korea and then the Barclays Scottish Open, thus almost guaranteeing his place on the 2008 Ryder Cup team, on which he has stated that he would like to play with fellow Irishman, Pádraig Harrington.

Amateur wins (6)

*1996 Ulster Boys Championship
*1999 Irish Youths Championship
*2000 Irish Amateur Close Championship, Irish Youths Championship, World Universities Championship, South of Ireland Championship

Professional wins (4)

European Tour wins (4)

*2002 Volvo Scandinavian Masters
*2004 Telecom Italia Open
*2008 Ballantine's Championship, Barclays Scottish Open

Results in major championships

DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.

Team appearances

Amateur

*Walker Cup (representing Great Britain & Ireland): 2001 (winners)
*Palmer Cup: (representing Great Britain & Ireland): 2000 (winners), 2001

Professional

*Ryder Cup (representing Europe): 2008
**Record: 4 matches, 2.5 points (62.50% Point Percentage)
**All Formats(W-L-H): 2-1-1 = 2.5pts
***Singles: 1-0-0 = 1pt
***Foursomes: 0-0-1 = 0.5pt
***Fourballs: 1-1-0 = 1pt
*Seve Trophy: (representing Great Britain & Ireland): 2005 (winners)
*Royal Trophy (representing Europe): 2006 (winners)

External links

*Official|http://www.graememcdowell.com/ism/sites/mcdowell/
* [http://www.europeantour.com/publish.sps?pageid=127&pagegid=%7B20E6AA6B%2D0225%2D4C71%2DBD89%2D2ACBEE615D69%7D&playerId=31048 Profile on the European Tour's official site]