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McDowell turns his focus Stateside

Graeme McDowell became the first British major winner since 1999 © Getty Images

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US Open champion Graeme McDowell has revealed he will accept a US PGA Tour card next season.

As the dust begins to settle on McDowell's key role in Europe's Ryder Cup victory at Celtic Manor on Monday, the Ulsterman is in Scotland for the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, but he has already turned his thoughts to next year.

The US Open champion played predominantly on the European circuit in 2011, winning the Wales Open at Celtic Manor just a fortnight before his triumph at Pebble Beach.

He played ten PGA Tour recognised events this season, but plans to spend more time on the other side of the Atlantic in 2011 after receiving a five-year exemption following his US Open triumph.

"There's definitely going to be more of an American influence to my schedule for the first six months," McDowell said.

McDowell took up a US tour card in 2006 after two top-10 finishes in 2005, but failed to make the cut six times in his first seven appearances.

"I got injured right at the start of the season and I never really got a chance to experience it," he said. "I want to give it a go next year because it's a non-Ryder Cup year and I would like to try to FedEx play-offs. I'll maybe not be quite as US-based as Luke Donald, Ian Poulter or Justin Rose, maybe like a Harrington-type schedule."

However, world No. 2 Lee Westwood has no intention of turning his back on the European Tour. Westwood, who could be crowned world No. 1 with a top-two finish at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship this weekend, has enjoyed a successful season, and after consulting his manager Andrew 'Chubby' Chandler decided there was no need to change a successful strategy.

"Chubby said, 'Why would you take membership in the States when you have been the most successful player in the world this year until the injury and you have still got a great chance to go to world No. 1?

"'You have come second in two major championships, you must be doing something right, why not stick to the same schedule?'"

The PGA Tour were keen to sign up Westwood, but just days after helping secure the Ryder Cup for Europe over America, he handed the European Tour a boost by pledging his loyalty next season.

"I don't want to get into the situation where I have to play events in America just to make 15," he said. "The FedEx Cup sits right in the middle of the kids' summer holidays and I like going on holiday with them for a couple of weeks. I don't want to be dictated to by having to play, having to go to America to play FedEx Cup when it doesn't really mean that much to me."

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