
Graeme McDowell has revealed his regret over signing with LIV Golf, citing the league's uncertain future after the Saudi Public Investment Fund withdrew support. The situation raises concerns about the viability of LIV Golf moving forward.
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Photo by Yu Chun Christopher Wong/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images
The current state of LIV Golf feels a little like the last days of Rome.
After the Saudi Public Investment Fund withdrew support for next season, it became clear that CEO Scott O’Neil’s statement to the players that the league was fully funded until 2032 was untrue.
Unless the tour can find new investment for next season and beyond, it will likely be the end of LIV, and the players are eyeing the exit door.
For the biggest stars like Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm, a return to the PGA Tour is possible, although Rahm has said it will be difficult for him to get out of his current contract.
But for those further down the leaderboard, their future is far less certain. That left 2010 US Open winner Graeme McDowell regretting his past comments about LIV.
Photo by Yu Chun Christopher Wong/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images
Many who signed with LIV said they joined the Saudi-backed league to grow the game or spend more time with their families. Very few admitted that they signed on to line their own pockets and collect the millions of dollars being thrown their way.
Many are still adamant that this was never about the money, but in an honest admission, McDowell said that he regrets not being honest with the public about his decision to join LIV.
Speaking to Sports Illustrated, he said, “I regret a few things I said in the beginning, stuff like growing the game. I should have just said it for what it was: this is good for my bank account, and I’m getting a runway to play the game of golf for as long as I possibly can.”
Graeme McDowell expressed regret over signing with LIV Golf, indicating that the current state of the league is troubling.
LIV Golf is facing uncertainty because the Saudi Public Investment Fund has withdrawn its support, contradicting previous assurances of funding until 2032.
If LIV Golf does not secure new investment, it is likely to face closure, leaving players considering their options.
Scott O’Neil is the CEO of LIV Golf, and he previously assured players that the league was fully funded until 2032, a statement now proven false.

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“I don’t know where this is going to go. There’s a lot of players out here that if this goes away, they’ve got nowhere to go. Do they deserve that? Is that their own fault…?
“There’s a lot of people out here that have their jobs tied to this, people who work here. All the negativity on social media the last three weeks … it just disappoints me on so many levels.”
For McDowell, the uncertainty is difficult. He will likely have nowhere to play next season unless he can secure a place on the DP World Tour. But he’s had his career, so it’s not such a bitter pill to swallow.
For players like reigning NCAA champion Michael La Sasso, who gave up his place at The Masters to sign with LIV this year, this is a disaster. He might have ruined his career for one season on LIV, and it’s those players that McDowell clearly has some regret for.
While the biggest stars on LIV negotiate their way back onto various tours, the future for players like La Sasso is in serious doubt.
The 22-year-old signed with Phil Mickelson’s HyFlyers this year, and not only has he been able to play with the six-time major winner only once, but the league might be folding altogether.
La Sasso would be suspended from the PGA Tour for a year after his most recent LIV event, and he does not have the star power to negotiate a deal with the tour. He would be unable to play on the PGA Tour or the Korn Ferry Tour until well into 2027.
Without the PGA Tour as an option, La Sasso would likely have to pivot to the Asian Tour through the International Series, the DP World Tour, or start from scratch with Q-School and grind his way through the qualifying stages.
The difficulty he faces is that those spheres will increasingly be crowded with other LIV golfers seeking to regain their tour cards. 2027 is set to be the most difficult year to earn a PGA Tour card in the sport’s history.
It could take years for La Sasso to finally earn his card, so he must be regretting turning down his spot at The Masters for this.