Graeme McDowell: I get tearful thinking of Ryder Cup vision
2010 US Open champion Graeme McDowell revealed he used to picture himself captaining the European Ryder Cup team at Adare Manor in 2027.
Speaking to Gary Williams of the 5 Clubs Podcast, McDowell accepted his chances of leading Team Europe at the Irish venue are now slim following his move to LIV Golf.
McDowell holed the winning putt at the 2010 Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor to secure a dramatic win against America, a moment which is firmly cemented in the rich history of the event.
The 43-year-old threw his future involvement into jeopardy when joining Greg Norman’s LIV Golf roster, as Henrik Stenson found out when he was removed as captain last July.
McDowell laid out the provisional timeline Team Europe had planned before a host of European stalwarts made the controversial switch to the Saudi-backed circuit.
“I had to reason with myself and say would I love to be the Ryder Cup captain in Ireland in ’27” he said. “I pictured myself standing there on stage and giving an opening speech, looking at my team behind me.
“I mean, beautiful. I have a tear in my eye just thinking about it but that wasn’t a guarantee, it wasn’t a given. I was potentially going to be against Lee Westwood and Justin Rose for that Ryder Cup.
“Say LIV hadn’t come along, Westwood had turned Rome down so he was looking at ’27 because Poults was going to take ’25 in Bethpage Black.
“He said that eight years ago and wanted to get into a fight with Phil Mickelson on the stage in New York City. I haven’t really thought about it.
“That may be one of the most fundamental things that may come out of this thing that we don’t get to see Phil versus Poulter in Bethpage Black. You know, that probably won’t happen now.
“Westwood is one of the most decorated European Tour players of all time – so I’m going against him and I’m thinking, ‘I’m not sure I’m necessarily winning this job’, so this is the type of reasoning that I had to go through in my head.
“These two or three things we’re talking about were the things that kept me awake at night as to whether I thought I was making the right decision or not.
“Are my chances greatly reduced now of ever being a part of a Ryder Cup team at any level? Yeah, of course, they’re greatly reduced.”
Ian Poulter admitted he would be devastated to miss out on captaining the European Ryder Cup side, which will now be led by Luke Donald in Italy in 2023.
McDowell was one of the first players to face the media at LIV Golf’s inaugural event at Centurion last summer.
He, Dustin Johnson and Louis Oosthuizen were grilled on LIV Golf’s backing from the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia.
The Northern Irishman, who notched four wins on the PGA Tour, admitted he would take back a couple of things and remain silent as opposed to answering tough questions on LIV-related issues.
In a recent interview with Irish Golfer, McDowell said he would love to play in more major championships, but he is currently ineligible to play in all four of golf’s biggest tournaments in 2023.
He doesn’t anticipate peace between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf any time soon but maintains that the new breakaway league has a place in the sport.
“I do care and I take things personally. I’ve said things that I’d like to take back. Did I say them because they were wrong?
“No, I said them because I was trying to answer questions that when I look back were incredibly difficult to answer. Impossible to answer in fact, to the point where I shouldn’t even have tried.
“I wouldn’t have changed any of my answers, I would’ve just said nothing and that’s the key here really because I feel like there is a place in the sport for LIV and do I wish we’d have ended up here in a different way?
“Of course I do, I wish this would’ve all been a plug-and-play and the golfing eco-system could’ve worked congruently and we could be all getting along in one huge golf package that everyone appreciates.
“But there’s no doubt that we’re not there and who knows? I’m hoping this gets fixed and we all move on but I have a funny feeling that will take some years, which is disappointing.”
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Matt Chivers
Now on the wrong side of 25, Matt has been playing golf since the age of 13 and was largely inspired to take up the game by countless family members who played golf during his childhood.
Matt is a member at Royal Cinque Ports in Deal playing off a 5 handicap, just a pitching wedge away from his hometown of Dover where he went to school and grew up. He has previously been a member at Etchinghill and Walmer and Kingsdown in Kent.
Having studied history at the University of Liverpool, Matt went on to pass his NCTJ Exams in Manchester a year later to fulfil his lifelong ambition of becoming a journalist. He picked up work experience along the way at places such as the Racing Post, the Independent, Sportsbeat and the Lancashire Evening Post.
Matt joined NCG in February 2023 and is the website’s main source of tour news, features and opinion. He has reported live from events such as The Open, the Ryder Cup and The Players Championship, having also interviewed and spent time with some of the biggest names in the sport.
Consuming tour golf on what is a 24/7 basis, you can come to Matt for informed views on the game and the latest updates on the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, LPGA Tour, Ladies European Tour and LIV Golf.
What’s in Matt’s bag: Cobra LTDx LS driver, Cobra LTDx 3-wood, TaylorMade P7MC irons, Ping Glide 4.0 wedges, Odyssey putter.
