McDowell stormed into the top 50 after his Bay Hill display last year

The Northern Irishman came second in the Invitational event in Florida in 2005 but has no form so far this year.

The 26-year-old has missed his last four cuts and now has no chance of forcing his way back into the top 50 before Augusta.

And Kenny Perry, the man who beat McDowell last year, is also absent this time around with a knee injury.

But there is a place at Bay Hill for Sam Saunders, the 18-year-old grandson of tournament host Arnold Palmer.

Officials extended a special invitation to the son of Amy and Roy Saunders, Palmer's daughter and son-in-law, after the teenager won the men's club championship at the tournament course by 17 strokes.

It was the second Bay Hill title for high school student Saunders, who also won as a 15-year-old.

McDowell, on the other hand, only discovered over the weekend that he was not invited to the prestigious event.

He has slid to 69th in the world after a poor run in the US, a far cry from last year when his second place at Bay Hill guaranteed him an Augusta debut.

And Perry, the world number 16, is now a major doubt for the Masters.