McDowell bows out but Lowry, Power and Harrington remain in FedEx Cup chase

Shane Lowry hits his shot on the 12th hole during round one of the 99th PGA Championship held at Quail Hollow Club. Picture © Scott Halleran/PGA of America

Graeme McDowell kissed the FedEx Cup Playoffs goodbye when he missed the cut in the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro.

But Shane Lowry, Pádraig Harrington and Seamus Power are all in with a chance of making it to the first Playoff event in New York next week.

West Waterford star Power is the man under pressure as he bids to retain his PGA Tour card by finishing inside the top 125 in the points list.

After dropped shots at his 15th and 17th holes, he had to dig deep just to card a level par 70 and make the three-under par cut on the mark.

Tied for 67th, he's projected to finish 127th in the FedEx Cup standings but still has two more rounds to achieve the estimated T37 finish he needs to retain his card.

Padraig Harrington on the 14th hole during round one of the 99th PGA Championship held at Quail Hollow Club. Picture © Scott Halleran/PGA of America

Lowry, who is exempt next year, needs to finish tied sixth or better to move into the top 125 and he's on track (currently projected at 130th) after a superb, six-under par 64 (his low round of the year in the US) catapulted him to tied ninth.

At nine-under par, Lowry is just four strokes behind Ryan Armour (61) and Webb Simpson (64), who lead by a stroke on 13-under par from Sweden's Henrik Stenson (66).

As for Harrington, who will have a medical exemption for an estimated nine events next year to match the points total of the 125th finisher in the FedEx Cup standings should he fail to make it this week, he's got a lot of work to do.

The Dubliner is tied for 27th on six-under after holing little in a two-under 68.

Ranked 199th in the FedEx Cup standings, he must finish first or second this week make the top 125.

McDowell — like Lowry, exempt next season — is now looking forward to the 2017-18 campaign after missing the cut by two strokes after a 68.

The Portrush man is ranked ninth for putting this season but 185th for driving distance, 175th for greens hit in regulation and tied 98th for scrambling.