Graeme McDowell kissed his World Cup dream goodbye and sighed: My time will come.

It’s a bitter disappointment for tour rookie McDowell who had his heart set on partnering Padraig Harrington in the EMC sponsored event at Puerto Vallarta from December 10 –15.

But in the end Ryder Cup star Paul McGinley will partner Harrington in bid for World Cup glory yet again.

With Darren Clarke unavailable due to tournament commitments in Asia, McDowell was under the impression that he would oust McGinley and partner Harrington as the next highest-ranking Irishman in the Order of Merit.

He said: “I had heard mixed things. But now I’ve had it confirmed now that they are doing it by World ranking. It’s disappointing. It would have been awesome. But that’s what I’m working towards in the future.”

McDowell hit the jackpot this season when he won the Volvo Scandinavian Masters in just his fourth appearance as a professional on the European Tour.

He immediately leapfrogged McGinley in the Order of Merit and then made three cuts in a row in the US and Canada, including the NEC World Golf Championship.

Now he’s got his sights set on making Ireland’s World Cup team next year and starting his bid for a Ryder Cup place in 2004.

“The only way is up for me right now,” said McDowell. “I’ll be playing a full schedule of events next season.”

Ranked 47th in the Order of Merit, two places and €20,000 ahead of McGinley, McDowell believed that that the second spot on the Irish team would go to the higher ranking player in the Order of Merit.

But the conditions clearly state that the "top 18 available players in the world ranking will be partnered by the next highest ranked player on the Official World Golf Ranking."

That means that 71st place McGinley will get the nod ahead of McDowell, currently 178th in the world.

Now that the confusion over the entry requirements has been cleared up, McDowell reckons that he will be getting ready to shop for a new home for his parents in Portrush instead of sweating it out in Mexico of a $1 million first prize.

“I need a break,” he admitted. “I’ve been taking it easy for the past couple of week and it was very much needed. It’s been a very hectic couple of months.

“The time off came at a good time. It’s been nice, becoming a professional has been all that I expected it to be and more. But it’s tiring.”

The physical strain of playing tournaments on both sides of the Atlantic has taken its toll on the 23 year old.

“Obviously these first three months haven’t been normal between Challenge Tour and America. It’s been really busy.

“If every three months is like that I don’t think I could do it but it’s been physically more demanding than I thought it would be.”

McDowell is just happy that he has three years of college golf under his belt.

“My last few years my seasons have stretched through November so in that respect I was ready for it. It would have been much more difficult if I hadn’t had that college experience behind me.

“It would have been a bigger shock. Now I’m probably going to take December and January off and when the tour is playing Australia Singapore. I’ll try and playa few invites in the States and not travel as much. Spend a bit more time out there and then come back for the European Tour in Dubai and Qatar.”

McDowell will be glue to his TC set today as Europe and the US go head to head in the Ryder Cup.

And McDowell is hoping to make the team himself in the near future.

“No doubt about it. You just have to look at guys like Padraig that just grind it out and work hard. Now he’s one of the top players in Europe. Obviously it can be achieved and obviously I’ll be looking towards the Ryder Cup in the next couple of years.

“Being exempt on tour I can choose a lot more. Starting out you just had to take what you got. Now I’d like to be like Ernie Els and play all over the world.”

With earnings of over €400,000 so far this season, McDowell has found himself in the big league pretty quickly.

“It’s a shock to system but I feel like I’ve taken it in my stride quite well. I didn’t think it would happen this quickly and obviously I am very, very pleased.

“It’s just a gradual sort of progression. It’s the way I’ve seen my career so far. Under 18, under 21, each level. I’m just trying to find my way to the top now. Just keeping on the upward curve.”

After his first tournament win the Portrush prodigy promised to buy a new house for his parents Ken and Marian.

“It’s something I always wanted to do for my family – buy them a nice house here in Portrush and it’s something I would like to do.

“It’s a possibility and towards the end of the year I’ll be looking at where I stand. I try not to look at the money breakdown unless I’m not playing well. But when I am playing well it’s not something I think about.”

A down to earth character, McDowell has already picked up contracts with TaylorMade, BMW, Goodbody Stockbrokers and Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain.

But he’s not getting carried away with things like extravagant stablemate Darren Clarke.

“I treat myself to a few nice clothes, but I haven’t really had time to enjoy it. I’ll just wait ‘til the end of the year and then look at houses and stuff. I’m taking it in my stride,” he confessed.

McDowell’s main worry is to consolidate his position and move up the ladder.

“It was a huge bonus to win but even though I have been struggling with my game since then, I have made all the cuts. It confirms the fact that I belong out here.”

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© Brian Keogh 2002

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