In this instance, the numbers don't lie. Graeme McDowell heads into this week's $9.25 million WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and next week's $10 million US PGA Championship – two huge tournaments in their own right – fully aware they are also season-defining. As things stand, he is outside the qualifying places for the PGA Tour's megabucks FedEx Cup final series.
Indeed, as of now, only two Irish players – Rory McIlroy, if fit, and Pádraig Harrington – are qualified to move on to the FedEx Cup playoffs which takes in the Barclays, Deutsche Bank and BMW championships before the $10 million winner's bonus is determined at the Tour Championship.
McIlroy, though, remains on the injured list following his ruptured ATFL ankle ligament, with no date yet set for his return. The Northern Irishman has already withdrawn from his defence of the Bridgestone and is rated extremely unlikely to defend the PGA at Whistling Straits, as he continues his rehabilitation under the guidance of fitness expert Dr Steve McGregor.
McDowell is one of three Irishmen competing in the Bridgestone, along with Harrington and Shane Lowry. For Lowry – who has conditional membership of the PGA Tour – to earn a place in the FedEx Cup series, the options are clear-cut: he would have to win this week's Bridgestone or next week's PGA.
All three players earned their places in the field in Akron through different routes: Harrington’s win in the Honda Classic earlier this season secured his spot, Lowry’s ranking inside the top 50 on the world rankings got him an invite, and McDowell’s place in the field is due to being a member of last year’s Ryder Cup team.
For McDowell, the time has come to turn his season around. At the moment, he is 159th in the FedEx Cup standings; the top 125 after the Wyndham championship, the week after the US PGA, advance to the final run-in.
Promise
So far this season, McDowell has earned only 269 FedEx Cup points, with 152 of those in last year’s HSBC Champions event in China where he was third.
The promise of that start to the crossover PGA season has long gone, replaced by a battle more often than not to simply make the cut. His last four events on the US circuit has seen G-Mac miss the cut in the St Jude Classic and in the US Open, finish 49th in the British Open and miss the cut in the Canadian Open.
If he is to salvage his season and to break into the qualifiers for the FedEx playoffs, he is in dire need of a complete turnaround in form. McDowell has played the Bridgestone every season since 2008, with a best finish of tied-eighth last year.
Harrington is an old hand at the Bridgestone, having played there 13 times with a best finish of runner-up in 2009. However, the Dubliner – 79th in the FedEx Cup rankings – hasn’t played Firestone since 2011 and his return to the field comes as a fringe benefit of his Honda Classic win. That was the high point of a season that has featured no fewer than 10 missed cuts, a fate that can’t befall him this week as he is guaranteed four rounds.
Lowry will be making only his third appearance in the Bridgestone, although he feels “it is a course that could suit me. I drive the ball well and I’m very excited to be playing two decent tournaments in a row.”
The Offalyman is within touching distance of getting his full PGA Tour card for 2016 through the non-members’ money list but should guarantee himself that precious ticket in Akron, where there is no cut.
Breakthrough
Two players forced their way into the field at Bridgestone thanks to their performances over the weekend: Troy Merritt’s breakthrough win in the Quicken Loans tournament on the PGA Tour brought him the immediate bonus of a place in Akron and Whistling Straits as well as an invite to next year’s Masters, while Marc Warren’s performance in the Paul Lawrie Matchplay, where he was a semi-finalist, enabled him to move up nine places to 49th in the world rankings to earn an invite to the WGC.
Meanwhile, there are 22 Irish professionals in the field for this week's Northern Ireland Open at Galgorm Castle in Ballymena, including tour players Michael Hoey, the tournament host, and Damien McGrane. Ruadhri McGee, at 18th the highest ranked Irish player on the Challenge Tour, is aiming to break back into the top 15 on the money list in his bid to claim a full tour card.
