Graeme McDowell

McDowell's results in the years leading up to this past season had a lot of people wondering if this was the beginning of the end for McDowell, but a win at the Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship flipped the narrative on McDowell. Not only did he pick up his first win since 2016, but he also carded two additional top-10s and seven top-25s in total. Not the production we expected after he broke through with a U.S. Open win a while ago, but still, better than what we'd seen from him in recent years. As far as a total resurgence, that doesn't look imminent, but a spot safely inside the top-125 is reasonable for the upcoming season.

With just one top-10 in the past two seasons combined, it's looking more and more like the GMac of old won't return to prominence. Now two years removed from his last $2M+ season, it appears the Northern Irishman's great putting can no longer cover for his lack of distance. Again with conditional status, it will be very difficult for him to maintain his card if he continues at his declining pace. Though it might be hard to swallow, GMac is no longer a relevant force in fantasy golf.

Despite a solid putting year where he was fourth in Strokes Gained: Putting, McDowell did not produce a single top-10 for the first time since 2008. The issue was his shoddy iron and wedge game and a dropoff in driving distance to a sub-280 average, which probably didn't make his iron shots any easier. The Northern Ireland native has eclipsed $2 million or fallen below $700,000 in the past four seasons, making it hard to guess which G-Mac we'll see when he returns with conditional PGA Tour status. With three wins in the past seven years, including a major, McDowell is worth a gamble in salary cap leagues, but it could end in disappointment.

It's been a strange journey for McDowell over the past decade. He went from an unknown to a household name after winning the U.S. Open in 2010, but the expected ascension to the top of the golf world never materialized. He's played well in the years since his major-win, but he hasn't taken the next step that many expected after that life-changing win. With that said, last season was his best since winning the U.S. Open and it's reasonable to think that he'll take that momentum and continue to improve. However, considering his earning's ceiling is right around $3 million, he's simply not worth the risk in a salary cap format. In draft leagues, he should go in the fourth or fifth round.

It's been a while since McDowell won his only major title at the U.S. Open and it's about time we start to wonder just how good he is. He was a decent player prior to his major title, but by winning that major, his status jumped considerably and to be honest, he's struggled to live up to the new standard. He's a solid player, but expecting another major or even multiple wins during the season may be a bit too much. He's worth a look in salary cap leagues though because his number is reasonable. In drafts he should go near the 5th round.

McDowell was a very popular pick entering the U.S. and British Opens last year, but he fell flat in both. This could be a case of living up to raised expectations or it could be that McDowell is what he is -- a good, but not great player. That's no insult, many golfers on the PGA Tour would love to have his resume, but after failing to build of his U.S. Open win a couple years back, you have to wonder if he'll ever take the next step. McDowell remains a pretty big name and as such he'll likely go as early as 20th and as late as 30th. His price is low enough to consider a pick in a salary cap league, but it's definitely a risk.

McDowell finished just outside the top 30 last season, which had everything to do with a poor finish to his season. Prior to the final month, McDowell was having quite a season, posting two runner-up finishes along with two other top-10s. Most impressive, though, was his performance at the majors. McDowell finished runner-up at the U.S. Open and notched a top-5 at the Open Championship. He finished just outside the top 10 at both the Masters and the PGA Championship. McDowell struggled a bit after his U.S. Open win a couple years ago, but he appears to be back to his old form, and this could be a big year if he continues his high level of play at the majors. McDowell should go in the third round in draft leagues.

It’s been quite the ride for McDowell the last two years. He went from underrated major winner to overrated major winner in the span of 12 months. The golf world tried not to act surprised when McDowell won the 2010 U.S. Open, after all, those who saw him play knew he was a quality player, capable of something like this. From that point, though, the conventional wisdom got a little carried away. Sure, McDowell was a good player (you have to be to win a major), but he hadn't really accomplished much outside that win, so why did most think he would become one of the world's best? With expectations back in check, though, there is now room to surprise us all once again. This time around it won't be as much of a surprise, but it would still be a little surprising to see him at more than $2 million this year. In draft leagues, McDowell likely will go a little higher than he should, thanks to his major champion status. Consider him in the sixth round.

Nearly all of McDowell's earnings came from his lone win at the U.S. Open last year. While his output post-Open was certainly a disappointment, you certainly can't blame him for losing a bit of focus the final months of the season. McDowell is a fine player, but he might not match last season's production with the limited number of events he'll likely play this this season. It's difficult to judge McDowell's stats from last season with such a small sample size, but he does appear to have the rare combination of length and accuracy off the tee. He'll join the PGA Tour in 2011, so expect him to play a bit more in the U.S.

McDowell played well in 2009, and there's potential for him to improve this season. After years of struggling during PGA TOUR events, McDowell seems to have figured out the balance and should continue to improve. McDowell moved from 33rd to 39th in the final 2009 Official World Golf Rankings.

Played well early, but after his runner-up at the Bay Hill Invitational, he didn't accomplish much.