McDowell: Ryder Cup Top Goal, Majors And Olympics 2nd And 3rd

"I'd love to vice captain, but I'd love to play. There's nothing like playing a Ryder cup, I've played four and I'd love to play a fifth."

McDowell: Ryder Cup Top Goal, Majors And Olympics 2nd And 3rd

Graeme McDowell won his 11th European Tour title at the Saudi International by a two stroke margin over defending champion Dustin Johnson.

The Northern Irishman won on the PGA Tour last year too and is now back inside the world's top 50 ahead of a huge 2020 of golf.

G-Mac won the 2010 US Open and has played in four Ryder Cups, but he missed out on the last two and saw his ranking slip to outside the top 250 a couple of years back.

Now, though, he feels like he is playing his best golf again and, at the age of 40, he sounds ready to take on the Majors and qualify for the Ryder Cup again.

We caught up with him in Dubai a couple of weeks ago where he confirmed to us that his number one goal for the year is to make the Ryder Cup team.

"I feel like I'm playing well enough this year to make the team," he told the Golf Monthly podcast.

"I take a lot of inspiration in Westy winning last week in Abu Dhabi.

"I'm off the back of a 4th myself at the Sony, second event of the year.

"I'm here for these two weeks to compete and try to win golf tournaments.

"I'm teeing it up most weeks trying to win.

"I feel like if I can get hot first half of the year, I've got a great chance of making the team.

"Of course I'd love to vice captain, but I'd love to play.

"There's nothing like playing a Ryder cup, I've played four and I'd love to play a fifth."

McDowell also told us of his desire to make the Irish Olympic team.

G-Mac would need to overtake Shane Lowry (16th in the world) as things stand, or reach the world's top 15 to guarantee his selection (nations are allowed a maximum of four players if all ranked inside top 15, two players per nation if not).

"Yeah for sure I'd love to play the Olympics," he said.

"Shane's obviously got a bit of a lead on me. I'll try to catch him.

"Rory's gonna be impossible to catch at this point but if I can get hot again I can potentially catch Shane and make the Olympic team.

"It's Ryder Cup first, competing in the Major Championships second and if I can make the Olympic team that would come in third on my goals for the year."

Listen to our interview with McDowell this week (interviews starts 6mins 25seconds) -

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