Graeme McDowell announced his partnership with RBC on TwitterGraeme McDowell has signed with what he described as the RBC “family” and committed to playing in this year’s RBC Heritage at Hilton Head and the RBC Canadian Open.

While appearance money is officially banned on the PGA Tour, his new relationship with the Royal Bank of Canada means he will be kept busy the week after this year’s Masters and the Open Championship.

McDowell was a “golf ambassador” for Zurich this year and played in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in 2011 and 2012 with a missed cut and a share of 57th to show for his efforts.

His relationship with the insurance giants did help his G-Mac Foundation but it remains to be seen if RBC is something more than another “ambassadorial” role.

The world No 15 certainly has no pressing reasons to add the Heritage event or the Canadian Open to his schedule.

He has played at Hilton Head three times with little success - 2005 (T70) 2006 (missed cut), 2011 (T61) - while his lone participation in the Canadian Open yielded a share of 46th place at Angus Glen in 2002.

McDowell is currently on holiday in Bakers Bay in the Bahamas and not expected to return to action until the Northern Trust Open at Riviera from February 14-17.