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Watford - Former US Open champion Graeme McDowell has pulled
the plug on his European Tour season after a best finish in two years in
sharing fourth place at the British Masters.
The Orlando-based Northern Irishman posted a final round 68
for a 13-under par tally that saw him finish five shots behind Sweden's Alex
Noren at The Grove course north of London on Sunday.
McDowell's effort, following his bitter disappointment in
not qualifying for the 2016 European Ryder Cup team, was his best on the
European Tour since he shared third place in the 2014 WGC-Champions event in
Shanghai.
"It was a very pleasing week in general and I wish I
had felt as comfortable on the back nine as I did on the front nine all week,
but that's one of those things," he said.
"Sometimes the golf course fits your eye in places and
doesn't fit it in others."
McDowell added: "The back nine really wasn't flicking
my switches this week and I didn't play it very well. Especially holes like 18,
if I played 18 better all week, I think I played it one-over for the week,
which on a hole where Tiger Woods played seven-under par here in 2006 is
slightly disappointing.
"But it was just one of those things, all in all, great
week."
McDowell's finish has seen him jump 11 spots to 46th on the
Race to Dubai and well inside the top-60 that will contest the European
season-ending DP World Tour Championship starting in Dubai on November 17.
Instead, McDowell is returning to his young family in Florida
to concentrate on his defence of the PGA Tour Mayakoba Classic in Mexico on
November 10.
"No Shanghai or Final Series for me as I'm going to go
back and play a couple of the events in the States at the end of the
year," he said.
"I'm going to defend at Mayakoba and play Vegas the
week before and I'm going to be in Melbourne for the World Cup with Shane Lowry
(November 24-27).
"I'm disappointed not to factor more in the Final
Series nor the HSBC as I'm right on the edge in qualifying for the last event
in Dubai," said McDowell.
"So I'll focus on those two events. It's always
important to friends when you get the opportunity to defend, and I look forward
to finishing down in Melbourne, should be pretty cool."
It will be the first time since the inception of the Final Series in 2009 that McDowell will miss the event.
