Graeme McDowell believes the European template for Ryder Cup success remains very strong, despite a 17-11 defeat to the United States at Hazeltine.

The Northern Irishman failed to make Darren Clarke’s team this time around but he insists his compatriot and team Europe simply ran into a wounded animal.

The American’s fully merited their victory this time around says the 2010 US Open winner but he feels Europe should not be hitting the panic button.

“Our template on how to win Ryder Cups remains solid. They just ran into the better team last week and there was nothing they could do about it,” said McDowell.

“You had a US team that was hungry, fired up on home soil, and the stars aligned – just one of those things.”

Looking to 2018 in France, McDowell believes the European captaincy can be trimmed down to a list of four contenders.

The man that holed the winning putt for Europe at Celtic Manor in 2010 says Padraig Harrington, Paul Lawrie, Thomas Bjorn and Miguel Angel Jimenez are the standout candidates.

Paul McGinley was the first Irishman to captain Europe at Gleneagles in 2014 and with Clarke having followed him, McDowell says Harrington might be forced to wait.

He believes the case for Lawrie is a strong one. “You’ve got to be looking at Harrington, Bjorn, Lawrie – who has thrown his hat into the ring and has been given the resounding recommendation of Sam Torrance – and probably Jimenez,” said McDowell.

“Harrington certainly has the right playing credentials. It would be the third Irishman in a row, so if you guys are sick of having Irish captains you might want to have a year off!

“But any of those four would be phenomenal. It’s not as though anything needs to change.”

McDowell is in Scotland for this week’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, which he can be backed at 51.00 to win. Off Ryder Cup disappointment, Martin Kaymer is 19.00 for victory with Lee Westwood at 41.00.