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Graeme McDowell is one of four Ryder Cup rookies set to represent Europe at Valhalla - alongside Soren Hansen, Oliver Wilson and Justin Rose.

The 27-year-old Northern Irishman qualified as the sixth-ranked player on the European standings, helped by two victories on the European Tour and five top-10 finishes this season.

As an amateur, McDowell was part of a successful British Walker Cup team in 2001 and enjoyed a quite remarkable record in US college golf after accepting a scholarship to Alabama University - winning six of 12 events in 2002 to rank as the number one collegiate player in the country.

Having turned professional that same year, he took just four events to register his first victory at the Scandinavian Masters.

It was two years before he triumphed again, beating Frenchman Thomas Levet in a playoff at the 2004 Italian Open.

McDowell returned to the winning circle in March this year, when he won another playoff to pip Jeev Milkha Singh at the inaugural Ballantine's Championship in South Korea.

Victory in the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond followed, by which time his consistency had all but guaranteed a seat on the plane to Kentucky.

"I've worked so hard to achieve this goal and once you get there it's very tough to think about anything else at all," said McDowell.

The Basics

Born: 30th July 1979, Portrush, Northern Ireland

Lives: Portrush, Northern Ireland

College: Alabama University, Birmingham, USA

Playing career

Turned professional: 2002

European Tour wins: 4

Other wins: None

Majors: None

Best finish: T11 - 2005 Open Championship, T15 - 2008 US PGA Championship, T30 - 2007 US Open

Ryder Cup record

Rookie

Will Tidey / Eurosport