Graeme McDowell would like to be considered for the 2027 European Ryder Cup captaincy, a desire he knows is complicated greatly by his LIV Golf League association. And his comments at the Hong Kong Open on the matter are undoubtedly offering plenty for proponents and detractors to discuss.
In an interview with bunkered.co.uk, McDowell acknowledged the difficulty of the situation but also said he believed the LIV dilemma is not of his doing.
“It’s on my mind, but being honest with you, I don’t know what to do about it,” McDowell told the website when asked following the second round of the International Series event, where he missed the cut.
“I don’t know whether it should be on my mind at all, as in if it’s something that’s not possible politically. If that’s the case, clearly I’ll be disappointed, but I’ll obviously understand why. The world is where it is. People will say I’ll get what I deserve, which, you know, I’m not really sure I totally agree with that, right?
“People will say I don’t deserve it and I’m responsible for a lot of what’s happened. But I’m a very, very small cog in this big wheel.”
McDowell, the 2010 U.S. Open champion who played on four European Ryder Cup teams, would have been considered among the favorites to get the captaincy in 2027 at Adare Manor in Ireland prior to going to LIV Golf. McDowell, 46, who is from Portrush, Northern Ireland, will be in the desired age window for the position.
But players who have gone to LIV Golf have seen this avenue basically shut down. The two-time winning captain Luke Donald only got the job in 2022 when Henrik Stenson, the named captain, joined LIV. Now Donald could be asked to do it again. Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter, locks to be captains before going to LIV, are also seemingly out of the running.
Then there is the issue of giving up his DP World Tour membership. In 2018, the tour enacted a rule that said any player who gave up their membership at any time would forfeit the right to be a future captain or assistant captain. That is an issue that is a subplot of his LIV Golf decision.
“The divisiveness has come from the best players in the world,” McDowell said. “It hasn’t came from the 40-somethings like myself that are just trying to eke out a living and staying competitive on an opportunity that was presented to us, which would have been crazy to say no to from a business point of view.
“I don’t know if it’s something that’s going to be unachievable. I’m not sure if it’s something that’s potentially on the radar. I only saw a couple of comments where Luke said maybe he doesn’t want to do it a third time.
“Justin Rose doesn’t want it because he wants to play. Rory [McIlroy] is obviously not even close, right? He doesn’t want to be playing captain. So it’s kind of like, ‘who’s it going to be?’ And why couldn’t it be me? I would love to be the olive branch that potentially puts some of this back together again.”
One Comment by McDowell Has Struck a Nerve
The “eke out a living” comment is causing McDowell some angst since the publication of the story. His intent has been overshadowed by the poor choice of words. Clearly anyone who went to LIV and has been playing there for four years isn’t having too much trouble on the money front. But his point was that his decision to go was not the breaking point in any divisiveness.
Still, McDowell faces several hurdles. He has given up his DP World Tour membership after paying his fines, saying he didn’t want to incur any more while playing a limited schedule. He plans to play for LIV Golf in 2026 and would certainly need to be more of a presence on the DP World Tour if he is to take on the role.
There is also the matter of a DP World Tour rule that stipulates any player giving up membership at any time would forfeit the right to be a future captain or assistant. That is something that Jon Rahm will have to face as well if he elects to give up membership in a non-Ryder Cup year.
“I don’t want to be presumptuous by putting my hat into the ring. Because it may be something that the powers that be within Ryder Cup Europe are saying, well, that’s just not possible,” he said. “If it is possible, I will certainly do everything that I can to be the best Ryder Cup captain I can be. And obviously, I’d love to sit down with Ryder Cup Europe and, if it’s a possibility, find out what they would need me to do.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Graeme McDowell Has Ryder Cup Aspirations, but There Is One Problem.