Graeme McDowell: “No regrets” over LIV move

Whilst the future of the men’s professional game remains up in the air, Graeme McDowell insists he has no regrets about jumping ship for LIV Golf.

The former US Open champion has been part of the league since its inaugural event at the Centurion Club near London in the summer of 2022.

It’s a move that has seen him suspended indefinitely by the PGA Tour, that prematurely ended his Ryder Cup career (at least for now), and which has resulted in him tumbling to 725th on the Official World Golf Ranking.

Despite all that, however, he believes that he made the right decision in aligning with the Saudi-funded start-up.

Speaking on the latest episode of the the Fairway to Heaven podcast with LIV commentary duo Jerry Foltz and Su-Ann Heng, McDowell said: “Certainly no regrets. I don’t have any personal regrets. I hate where the game of golf kind of is right now and that’s not necessarily on me as much as it’s just with the powers that be within the game of golf.

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“I think, ultimately, we’re going to come out the other side of this, with the game of golf in great shape. I think in any business there’s disruption. Inevitably, there’s going to be disruption. I think LIV has been a very healthy disruptor to a sport that the business model was slightly wrong and I think things needed to change.

“Unfortunately, change can be painful, but I think we’re through a lot of the pain now.

Describing the backlash he endured at the outset of LIV, he added: “There’s no doubt it was difficult at the beginning, especially being one of the original guys who were involved in the initial push when we had to go against the grain a little bit. It was hard.

“But as we sit here a third of the way into our third season, with the personnel we have on board now, with the team, with the product, with the media product that we have, I think the momentum is really, really strong.

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“I feel ever more confident that it was the right decision to make. I’m very happy with where I’m at. I love my schedule. I love the ability that I have to play a very, very competitive schedule against some of the best players in the world, which is what I always wanted to do, and have as much time with my family as I do nowadays.”

McDowell’s comments come in the same week that Chris DiMarco shared details of a conversation with the Northern Irishman in which he justified his decision to join LIV.

Appearing on the Subpar podcast, DiMarco said: “I saw Graeme McDowell at the Old Memorial Pro Member, and he goes, ‘Listen, I went up to Jay Monahan and said I love the tour but I am struggling to keep my card and these guys are offering me all this money and less golf. I’m sorry, I’m going.’ And I do not blame him one bit, and I said I would have too.”

McDowell will make his latest start of 2024 at LIV Golf Miami next week.

Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Deputy Editor