Graeme McDowell Confirms Exit From LIV Golf© Instagram
Graeme McDowell will not be part of LIV Golf’s next chapter. The 2010 US Open champion announced on Monday via X that he has decided against pursuing LIV 2.0, closing out a four-year association with the breakaway tour that began when the league launched in 2022. “I’ve decided not to pursue LIV 2.0,” he wrote, thanking people connected to his time in the league and saying he looks forward to “the next chapter in my career.” He has not confirmed whether that next chapter involves a return to the DP World Tour.
McDowell’s best individual result across his time with LIV was a tie for second at the Virginia event in June 2025. He never won an individual title. He arrived at LIV as a four-time Ryder Cup player with 11 DP World Tour victories alongside his major, and as recently as May he was defending the league publicly after Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund announced it would stop backing the organization after 2026. The tone of his exit post on Monday did not carry that defensiveness.
Who Else Is Leaving and What LIV 2.0 Still Needs
McDowell is one of a significant group walking away. Jon Rahm, Louis Oosthuizen, Tyrrell Hatton, Ian Poulter, Tom McKibbin, Sergio Garcia, David Puig, Abraham Ancer, Charles Howell III, Adrian Meronk, and Thomas Pieters have all confirmed or signaled departures. Dustin Johnson is leading a group of more than ten players seeking severance payments on contracts reportedly worth over $100 million, and that group is not expected to sign the current restructuring agreement in its present form.
What Remains of the LIV 2.0 Plan
The PIF withdrew its backing in April after investing over $5 billion into the league since its launch, and LIV subsequently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States. CEO Scott O’Neil has been working on a restructured model with BC Partners Credit as a potential investor, with a proposed $300 million commitment on the table. The Financial Times reported around 15 players have tentatively committed to the new structure, while BC Partners reportedly wants between 30 and 40 before finalizing its investment. The proposed 2027 schedule covers ten events, five in the United States and five internationally. Rory McIlroy, watching from outside, offered his summary of where things stand: LIV had “half of a good idea that was executed pretty poorly” and is no longer a threat to the traditional game.
Topics mentioned in this article
