The latest on the European Ryder Cup captain race: Graeme McDowell bows out of the running

ORLANDO – The race for the 2023 European Ryder Cup captain has one less viable candidate as Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell all but pulled his name from consideration.

McDowell, who is playing in a threesome with U.S. Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson in the first two rounds of the Arnold Palmer Invitational, had the following to say after his opening-round 68: “I’m obviously playing with Zach this week, walking around thinking maybe should I throw my hat in and go with him? I just don’t think I’m quite ready. Part of me would love to because part of me thinks, if I don’t take this one, I might not get it, which would be disappointing.

“But I kind of have to put my own individual career first, I feel like. I desperately want to get back playing consistently well at a high level again rather than maybe taking my attention away and taking the Ryder Cup captaincy.”

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McDowell, 42, who has played on four Ryder Cup teams, including winning the decisive point in 2010 in Wales, and has served as a vice captain during the last two Cups, said it came down to the following question: “Are there 12 better players than me in Europe right now? I’ve got to ask myself that question. If I’m out here doing what I’m doing, I have to say there’s not 12 guys better than me, and I’m good enough to make the team,” he said. “To be able to compete at a high level, I have to have that belief. If I take the captaincy then, that belief’s not there. It makes it hard for me to compete. That’s sort of what really the decision’s got to come down to. I’d love to be captain one day, but if I don’t take it this time, I’m well aware that I might miss, which would be disappointing.”

The frontrunners appear to be England’s Luke Donald, a former World No. 1, and Sweden’s Henrik Stenson, a former British Open champion. Former Euro vice captains Robert Karlsson, also of Sweden, and Scotland’s Paul Lawrie have received some support as well.

World No. 43 Justin Rose, Lee Westwood (No. 45), Sergio Garcia (No. 48) and Ian Poulter (No. 64) remain in the top 50 or thereabouts and still chasing trophies, with Westwood turning down what would’ve been his turn late last year. Poulter, for one, lent his support to Stenson.

“From a perspective of having played a lot more golf in Europe in the last 10 years than what Luke would have done, and because of that he’s probably got a closer relationship with the younger players,” Poulter told Golf Digest’s Shane Ryan at the Honda Classic last week. “And that would be my reason between him and Luke. The other two are great guys and very worthy players, but from a relationship standpoint, I think you still need to have a bond with players you’ve played with recently.”

McDowell should receive strong consideration to be captain in 2027 when the Ryder Cup will be held at Adare Manor in County Limerick, Ireland. Asked why he might miss his turn at the captaincy, McDowell said, “I think there’s too many great guys stacking up. There’s too many great players. There’s going to be seven or eight guys vying for the next five or six. Someone’s going to miss. When you’re talking about Westwood and Garcia and Justin Rose, you’re talking about top, top European players, of which I am one, but those guys have maybe slightly different credentials than me.”

As for the assignment in Italy next year, McDowell is confident that quality candidates remain in the running.

“I think Luke Donald will do a great job. I think Henrik Stenson will do a great job. It’s just a case of which one of these guys want it,” he said.