Graeme McDowell’s LIV Golf future ‘decided’ amid Ryder Cup admission
Graeme McDowell’s LIV Golf future was up in the air after finishing in the ‘open zone’ during the 2025 season – meaning he could be replaced by Brooks Koepka
Graeme McDowell’s future with LIV Golf has reportedly been decided. McDowell joined the breakaway league funded by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF) back in 2022 to become two of the highest-paid players on the tour.
But McDowell finished in 34th place in the overall individual standings at the end of the 2025 season. As a result, he finished in the ‘open zone’, which means that he could have been replaced by Brooks Koepka, who is the captain of Smash GC, the team which both players compete for.
But Bunkered is now reporting that Koepka has decided to keep the 2010 US Open winner on the tour for the 2026 season. The 2026 campaign will not officially begin until March, when The Club at Steyn City in South Africa hosts the first event of the new season.
McDowell is expected to be part of the field for the tournament but has admitted that he has been thinking about his future on the tour. The Northern Irishman missed the cut at the Hong Kong Open by one shot this week, and the three-time Ryder Cup winner has outlined his determination to keep on competing at the highest level.
“Obviously I felt like I played okay this season and certainly held my own,” McDowell said in an interview with Bunkered.co.uk. “Certainly lots of room for improvement, more consistency.
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“But, you know, I’m 46, I’ll be 47 next year. I still feel competitive. When I’m not competitive anymore, you know, I’ll walk away and give somebody else that spot.
“At the minute, I still feel like I’m good enough to be out there and good enough to be out on any tour.”
McDowell has not competed at the Ryder Cup since 2014, but has revealed he has aspirations to captain Team Europe in the future. Luke Donald has guided Europe to victory in each of the last two tournaments, with Adare Manor in Ireland hosting the next instalment in 2027.
However, McDowell is no longer a member of the DP World Tour, which is a requirement to be considered as a future team captain. As a result, the 46-year-old has been honest about his chances and aspirations to be captain for Europe in two years’ time.
“I think about it, but I really don’t know what to do about it at the minute,” McDowell said in a separate interview with Bunkered.
“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.
“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.
“As we move into the off-season, I’ll certainly make a few calls and see where the world stands. It would be the greatest moment of my life to stand there at Adare Manor as the Ryder Cup captain. I’d love to do it. It’d be special.”
Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.
