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Some LIV Golf players appear to be wavering in their support for the Saudi-backed league.
Ever since Brooks Koepka left LIV and was allowed to immediately rejoin the PGA Tour, there appears to be some wandering eyes. Bryson DeChambeau still hasn’t signed a contract extension, and Patrick Reed hinted at wanting a return to the PGA Tour.
DeChambeau and Jon Rahm have been offered the same terms as Koepka should they want to rejoin the PGA Tour. They have until February 2 to decide on their future. But for others, the path isn’t quite as clear.
That hasn’t stopped them from hinting at some regrets about leaving in the first place. And Graeme McDowell recently shared what he missed about being on the tour.
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What Graeme McDowell misses about the PGA Tour
McDowell was asked about his goals for the 2026 season and gave a surprising answer. He seemed to hint at his regrets about joining LIV Golf in 2022.
The former US Open winner told The Mirror US: “I think winning out here on LIV, just to kind of feel better about my decision about being out here in the first place. I’m very happy where I’m at now, but it took me a couple of years to feel comfortable about it, and obviously, to win out here, I think, would definitely tick that box for me.
“I think I miss the majors. I miss some other events in the world as well. LIV gives me a great opportunity to compete at a high level every week. I still feel like I’m good enough to win, and I think that’s the key. Otherwise, I should just stay at home.
“So, I feel good about what I’m doing, but getting back into majors, playing the British Open, The Open at Portrush last year, I just missed out in the qualifier. I was gutted to not be there, but obviously, if we get world rankings back out here and kind of get the pathways moving back into the majors, that would be huge.
“I’m just trying to keep my head down, keep chipping away and doing what I’m doing and do it better.”
Graeme McDowell says if he supports LIV Golf’s format change
LIV made a seismic change to their format this offseason, switching from the 54-hole format that gave the tour its name to a more traditional 72-hole format.
It’s a decision that has split opinion among its players, but it was done to secure Official World Golf Rankings points so they could qualify for major championships.
This hasn’t yet worked, and LIV Golf has abandoned part of what made it distinguishable from other tours. Despite that, McDowell is largely in favour of the move.
He said, “I thought the 54 was, it was certainly innovative. It was different. It didn’t really suit my game, honestly. It was too much of a sprint format and, as you can tell, I’m, not really built for speed as much as the sort of mental four rounds, the grind, right?
“So in a way, I’m happy to see 72 come back. But I thought a lot of what LIV did in the beginning was different and trying to change the sport, but we find out that the sport is very traditional.
“There’s an expectation level from the fan that they like to see certain things, and the demand around the world to see more golf and to play four times in Australia, for example, in South Africa, where the demand for tickets is high.
“I think it’s great, and I think it’ll suit my game. It’s two weeks extra golf for the year. I’m excited for it. And like I say, I think we have great leadership within LIV and continue to grow, and just trying to continue to get better and give the market what it wants.”
Now that he’s back to playing the format he’s become accustomed to, perhaps McDowell will be granted his wish and win his first LIV event in 2026.
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