Graeme McDowell Staying in LIV Golf With Spot on Brooks Koepka's Team

The former U.S. Open champion's LIV contract ended after two years and Smash GC had an opening after Chase Koepka's relegation.

Graeme McDowell admits he found the reaction to his participation in the LIV Golf League jarring. To say the least.

The former U.S. Open champion who was among the first signees when LIV Golf launched as an invitational series in 2022 was stung by the criticism that came his way, especially as he tried to explain his reasons for making the leap to the controversial circuit.

Two tough years of competition for him didn’t make it any easier. And it put his golf future in doubt.

Graeme McDowell is moving from Cleeks GC to Smash GC in LIV Golf :: Sam Navarro/USA TODAY Sports

"I’m very happy where I’m at playing golf, but I think it affected my play a little bit in the beginning," said McDowell, who has a spot in the league for 2024 after an announcement Tuesday that he will be joining Brooks Koepka’s Smash GC team. “LIV is a great environment for me. But no doubt the negativity that came my way and toward the league was unprecedented in the game of golf. I don’t think any of us expected that level of negativity. It was hard.

"There was so much fracturing in the sport and I felt right in the middle. I feel I’ve done a much better job of focusing on the more on the present and the evolution of the product because there’s no doubt it’s different from the way I’ve played golf for the last 20 years."

McDowell, 44, has for years been one of the game’s best talkers, someone who has thought through various aspects of the sport whenever asked.

But the 2010 U.S. Open winner didn’t see his game came along with him to LIV Golf. In 2023 he didn’t have a single top-10 finish, his Cleeks GC team captained by Martin Kaymer struggled, and he finished 42nd in the overall individual team standings—out of 48 players.

That put him in peril for 2024, because when McDowell signed with LIV Golf last year, he had a two-year deal. Since it was up after this past season, and having finished outside of the top 24 players, he was not guaranteed a spot.

Because Koepka had an opening on his team (after younger brother Chase Koepka was relegated), as well as Phil Mickelson on his HyFlyers team, McDowell spoke to them both.

"I have a relationship going back with Brooks some 15 years, going back to the European Tour days," said McDowell, who is from Northern Ireland—where Koepka’s caddie, Rickie Elliott, is also from. “Rickie and I grew up together in Northern Ireland and I’ve had a good rapport with Brooks over the years. It was a really good fit."

McDowell gave a little bit of insight into LIV Golf’s team setup. As part of his deal with Koepka’s team, he will be paid an undisclosed salary, which is on top of prize money.

"Each player is paid a salary based on their marketability on and off the course," he said. “The team is required to pay that salary. A big part of the team thing is you travel under a team budget. There is also travel for the caddies and some staff within that team. LIV is putting some money in, there is team prize money (each event pays prize money to the top three teams plus the season-ending team championship) and there are sponsorships. The idea of these franchises is to be self-funding with the salaries falling within that budget."

McDowell’s more immediate goal is to get his game in shape. He is only guaranteed one year with LIV Golf.

"Where I’m at in my game and my career, it’s imperative that I have someone driving me hard," he said. “I think going out there and trying to chase Brooks Koepka and that’s what I need."