Graeme McDowell regrets not being completely honest about LIV Golf move

Graeme McDowell on joining LIV Golf: "I should have just said it for what it was: this is good for my bank account." Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

Graeme McDowell regrets saying he was joining LIV Golf to grow the game rather than being completely honest and admitting that it was about the money.

The 2010 US Open winner signed with the breakaway tour in 2022. At the time, he was considering giving up playing and moving into a television career.

"I regret a few things I said in the beginning, stuff like growing the game," the 46-year-old told Sports Illustrated .

"I should have just said it for what it was: this is good for my bank account, and I’m getting a runway to play the game of golf for as long as I possibly can."

LIV now faces an uncertain future with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund pulling its sponsorship. McDowell hopes that if LIV survives, then Saudi Arabia no longer being associated would mean a "nasty" narrative around the tour disappears.

“I don't know where this is going to go,” he said. “There’s a lot of players out here that if this goes away, they’ve got nowhere to go. Do they deserve that? Is that their own fault? There's a lot of people out here that have their jobs tied to this, people who work here. All the negativity on social media the last three weeks... it just disappoints me on so many levels.

“There are people who hate this, hate this produce product with passion, and they can't wait for it to fail. I partly get it, and I partly don't get it. It’s a little sad on some levels. I guess it comes from a traditionalist, protective … trying to protect what this game is on a lot of levels, which is history, tradition, legacy.

“But I love a lot about it. I feel very, I feel very fortunate that it came along what it did just on a personal level.”

Another Northern Irish LIV player, Tom McKibbin, has been confirmed for next week's PGA Championship, the year's second major. 

"It's pretty cool," said McKibbin.

"I played last year as well, and I think to sort of do it two years in a row sort of with not having the availability of many world ranking points and sort of to stay around that 100 number has been pretty good. I think the consistency of the golf that I've played has been nice."

The tournament is being held at Aronimink Golf Club in Pennsylvania.

"It's always nice to get to play another major," said the 23-year-old.

"They're definitely the events that you want to be playing, and every time you can tick one off, it's a great learning experience. I always sort of leave learning more and more about my game and what I need to get better for the future. So, yeah, looking forward to playing again next week."