Graeme McDowell says improved qualifying opportunities for LIV Golf players have allowed him to see “light at the end of the tunnel” after nearly five years in the Major wilderness.
The Portrush native (45) has not played in a Major since his exemption for winning the 2010 US Open ran out at Winged Foot in 2020.
But as he looked forward to LIV Singapore this week, the Antrim man admitted he’s excited about playing for three spots in The Open in the Asian Tour’s International Series Macau next week and bidding for future Major spots via the LIV Golf standings
“Yeah, obviously it’s a great opportunity next week in Macau to have three Open Championship spots,” McDowell said. “Especially for me with it being Royal Portrush, my hometown, there’s a little bit of extra motivation there.
“Obviously, the focus is on this weekend. It’s a very, very important weekend and then we’ll turn our attention to Macau next week.
“But I feel like I’m starting to feel more comfortable with what I’m trying to do out here.
“I feel like the first couple of seasons, I really didn’t have a purpose. I didn’t really know what my purpose was.
“I’m really starting to kind of see the light again as pathways to these Majors start to emerge again.
“Small, but there is light at the end of the tunnel for sure.”
McDowell has hope after the USGA and R&A last month announced pathways into the US Open and The Open for LIV players.
The USGA is offering one spot in the US Open at Oakmont for the leading player in the top three in the LIV Golf Individual Season Standings on May 19.
The R&A will also give one spot in The Open at Portrush to the leading player not already exempt in the top five of the 2025 Individual Season Standings following LIV Golf Dallas.
That’s good news for McDowell, now ranked a lowly 1,382nd in the world, as he looks beyond the week-to-week battle for success on the Saudi-funded circuit.
“I feel like the first couple of seasons you were so focused every week on just in the now, when I felt like most of my career there was always something else out there that you were working towards, which kind of helped nearly numb the present and get you kind of cranking and pushing forward,” said McDowell, who plays for Brooks Koepka’s Smash GC.
“I love being in a team like this where I feel like there’s a bigger purpose, something bigger to play for, and obviously looking to try and get back into a couple of the Majors, which would be amazing.”
Playing in The Open at Royal Portrush this summer is a big goal for McDowell, especially after the club named a hole in on the redesigned Valley Course in his honour.
“When they redid the Dunluce for the Open Championship in 2019, they took a couple of holes off the Valley Course to rebuild two holes, and then the Valley Course has had a complete redo by the R&A,” said McDowell, who grew up playing the Valley as a member of Rathmore Golf Club.
“They actually picked one of the holes on the new redo on the Valley Course to name after me.
“It was obviously a great honour. I figured you had to be dead to do that stuff. But I don’t think I’m dead yet.
“Listen, obviously a huge honour. Very, very proud for me and my family. The Valley Course is where I learned the game and fell in love with the game of golf, and I haven’t been back over there to see the redo yet.
“Maybe I’ll get a chance in the next couple of months. But yeah, really cool. Obviously, a huge honour.”