Graeme McDowell believes he can book Ryder Cup spot

Graeme McDowell is convinced he can still qualify for a Ryder Cup spot this year and not have to depend on a captain's pick from European skipper Darren Clarke.

Despite his PGA Tour win at the OHL Classic in November, McDowell currently remains well outside the automatic qualifying berths for the European team.

The 2010 US Open champion is 16th in the world points list, where only the top five will earn spots at Hazeltine while he is 63rd in the European points list, where four places will be up for grabs.

"You don't want to start up using up that pick too early in your career," said McDowell, 36, who has been a member of the last four European teams.