Graeme McDowell Close To Losing PGA Tour Card

The 2010 US Open champion needs a good finish this week at the Wyndham Championship

Graeme McDowell Close To Losing PGA Tour Card

Graeme McDowell is in need of a big week at the Wyndham Championship to save his PGA Tour card.

The 2010 US Open champion won the OHL Classic at Mayakoba in 2015 (2015-16 season) which gave him a two year exemption in the States.

That is due to run out after this week.

McDowell, currently 143rd in the FedEx Cup standings, will need a top 10 at the Wyndham to ensure he gets inside the top 125 in the FedEx Cup standings prior to the Playoffs.

His last top 10 on the PGA Tour came at the 2017 Shriners Open in November last year.

If he doesn't manage to get inside the top 125 this week, he will get conditional status with around 10-12 starts.

The 39-year-old does also have a European Tour card to fall back on so if he fails to regain his PGA Tour status we can probably expect to see him over in Europe a lot more next year.

McDowell, speaking to reporters at the Barracuda Championship earlier this month, didn't seem worried, "I'm trying not to put too much pressure on myself. I feel like it's not a do-or-die scenario for me.

"I feel if I was 25 years old without a European Tour card to fall back on, it would be a do-or-die scenario. Certainly trying to put the pressure off, if I don't get myself into the top 125 it's not the end of the world for me. I still feel like I can play a great schedule next season."

G-Mac's best form has come over in Europe this year with a T12 finish at the BMW PGA Championship and T5th at the Italian Open in successive weeks.

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McDowell has only played in three majors in the past two years and hasn't made a cut in any of them, in fact he has missed his last four major cuts dating back to the 2016 USPGA Championship.

The Northern Irishman, who sits 181st in the world, attempted to qualify for The Open this year but an airline lost his golf clubs - he skipped the qualifying and instead focused on earning a spot at the Irish Open where he was T40th.

It's not all doom-and-gloom though for McDowell - he of course has a US Open trophy in his cabinet along with 13 other European Tour titles and two other PGA Tour titles.

His career earnings on the PGA Tour are just shy of $16m whilst his European Tour earnings are just shy of €20m.

Shane Lowry is also in danger of losing his PGA Tour card this week with his exemption from winning the 2015 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational running out.

He is 139th in the FedEx Cup standings so will also need a high finish at the Wyndham.

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