{"id":825992,"date":"2026-07-25T21:58:37","date_gmt":"2026-07-25T21:58:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/825992\/"},"modified":"2026-07-25T21:58:37","modified_gmt":"2026-07-25T21:58:37","slug":"with-liv-golf-facing-headwinds-ex-u-s-open-champ-plans-for-new-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/825992\/","title":{"rendered":"With LIV Golf facing ‘headwinds,’ ex-U.S. Open champ plans for new future"},"content":{"rendered":"

LIV Golf is running out of time, and Graeme McDowell is among the pros planning for an alternative golf future. <\/p>\n

Ever since the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund announced it would cease backing the breakaway league after 2026, LIV Golf has been trying to create a new future. But this week at LIV Golf U.K., all the talk has suggested that it\u2019s getting late for the rebel outfit. <\/p>\n

Earlier this week, Martin Kaymer told Today\u2019s Golfer<\/a> that the LIV Golf team event in Michigan is \u201chighly unlikely\u201d <\/a>to be played. Jon Rahm said he was \u201coptimistic\u201d LIV would have a future past 2026 but wouldn\u2019t give any specific reason for his optimism apart from saying he\u2019s optimistic by nature. LIV Golf was dealt another blow earlier in the week<\/a> when the Asian Tour, which had been a partner of LIV since its launch, agreed to a deal with the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. <\/p>\n

All of this has reportedly led to a \u201csignificant increase\u201d in DP World Tour inquiries from LIV Golf members, according to Golf Digest\u2019s Evin Priest, and McDowell is one of those planning for a return to the European circuit. <\/p>\n

The former Ryder Cupper told the BBC<\/a> that whether or not LIV Golf continues in 2027, he plans to return to the DP World Tour, which he hasn\u2019t played on since he joined the rebel league in 2022. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no doubt there are headwinds,\u201d McDowell told the BBC of LIV Golf\u2019s future. \u201cLIV are working incredibly hard behind the scenes trying to bring investment in. As players, all we can do is support and be good assets. Regardless of whether LIV Golf can find a solution to continue, I\u2019ll play as a European Tour player in some way, shape or form next season, assuming the Tour still want me and we can figure that relationship out.\u201d<\/p>\n

McDowell told the BBC that he settled his fines with the DP World Tour in 2023 and has had \u201cproductive\u201d talks with the circuit about a return in 2027. McDowell said he plans to meet with the DP World Tour again in November to hopefully finalize his path back. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve had good conversations this year,\u201d McDowell told the BBC. \u201cIf LIV gets something done, great. If they don\u2019t, then maybe I\u2019m just a European Tour player \u2014 and we go from there. I\u2019m lucky to have that option.\u201d<\/p>\n

While LIV\u2019s future is dim, McDowell said he has \u201cno regrets\u201d about joining the breakaway outfit. The 2010 U.S. Open champion told the BBC that he was close to retiring before LIV Golf came along. While the formerly Saudi-backed league extended his career, he admits that there are some things he has missed that he got to re-experience when he qualified for this year\u2019s U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve missed a lot of things: the European Tour, the PGA Tour, the majors, the pathways, the crowds, the camaraderie,\u201d McDowell said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing back at Shinnecock was amazing. Seeing all the lads again, the reception, the friendships \u2014 you realize how much you took for granted. I\u2019ve missed it all, massively.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for LIV\u2019s future, Kaymer perhaps put it best<\/a>. After CEO Scott O\u2019Neil held a meeting with players on Wednesday, the two-time major champion said they were \u201clooking for more information\u201d on whether or not LIV Golf will have the investors to tee it up in 2027. <\/p>\n

\u201cHopefully, I think there\u2019s a lot of interest and it\u2019s looking good. But we\u2019ve all been there. If the signature is not there, then it doesn\u2019t mean anything,\u201d Kaymer told the BBC. \u201cIf those investors decide to pull out, then we don\u2019t play next year on LIV Golf. And if they decide to do it, then we have a chance.\u201d<\/p>\n

There\u2019s \u201ca chance,\u201d but as McDowell noted, the \u201cheadwinds\u201d LIV Golf is facing as it tries to create a future past 2026 are strong and only getting stronger \u2014 and time is running out. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"LIV Golf is running out of time, and Graeme McDowell is among the pros planning for an alternative…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":825993,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[443],"tags":[49,48,622,82],"class_list":["post-825992","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-golf","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-golf","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/825992","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=825992"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/825992\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/825993"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=825992"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=825992"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=825992"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}