After playing on the PGA Tour for ten weeks in 2011, making just one cut in six events, McQuillan said the course setups he had been facing were much tougher than anything he had seen before, but added that he was settling into life on the Tour, and anticipated an improvement in his performance as he gained experience. McQuillan dropped down to the Nationwide Tour for his next event, the Louisiana Classic. After opening with 70-66 to move into contention, he struggled on the weekend with rounds of 76 and 73 to finish at one-over-par 285, tied for 62nd place, earning $1,463. McQuillan's struggles continued at the Valero Texas Open, where he missed the 36-hole cut after rounds of 82-75. McQuillan shot 78-77 at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans to miss the cut by 12 strokes. McQuillan played the Nationwide Tour's Stadion Classic at UGA on his former home course in Athens, Georgia, but missed the 36-hole cut by three strokes with scores of 71-76. His next event was the HP Byron Nelson Championship near Dallas, where his scores of 73-73 missed the 36-hole cut by three strokes. McQuillan played the Nationwide Tour's Maryland event, the Melwood Prince George's County Open, and missed the cut by two shots with scores of 72-71. He shot 70-73 to miss the 36-hole cut by one stroke at the FedEx St. Jude Classic near Memphis. Although he missed another cut, by four strokes, at the Travelers Championship near Hartford with scores of 73-67, his second round was his first under 70 on the PGA Tour since Pebble Beach, four months before.