McDowell trims hectic schedule with Quail Hollow withdrawal

Graeme McDowell will be taking it easy this week. Graeme McDowell won’t play five events in a row after all after illness and some erratic form forced him to re-think and pull out of this week’s Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow.

The world No 18 finished a disappointing tied 57th in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans on Sunday and while that was scheduled to be the first of five events in a row, those plans have now changed.

“With my upcoming busy schedule, I have withdrawn from the Wells Fargo event this week,” McDowell said via Twitter. “I was a little under the weather both physically and with my game last week. Very much wanted to play Quail Hollow, but didn’t want to go there undercooked. Practice and rest for me this week. See you at Players.”

The 2010 US Open champion was scheduled to head from Quail Hollow to Sawgrass before crossing the Atlantic if play in the Volvo World Match Play at Finca Cortesin in Spain and the BMW PGA at Wentworth.

Rory McIlroy, the 2010 Quail Hollow champion, will be the only Irishman in action in Charlotte alongside the likes of Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Hunter Mahan.

The Holywood star, who turns 23 this week, will be bidding to regain his world No 1 ranking after being overtaken by Luke Donald in the latest list.

Padraig Harrington will reappear at Sawgrass next week following his son’s first communion and then play the HP Byron Nelson Classic, the BMW PGA at Wentworth and the FedEx St Jude Classic as his warm up for the US Open at the Olympic Club in San Francisco.