McDowell hoping to regain thoroughbred form in Koepka's Team Smash

Graeme McDowell hopes to regain the thoroughbred form that made him a major winner when he joins Brooks Koepka's Team Smash in the LIV Golf League in 2024.

Earlier this year, McDowell and Koepka joined forces as syndicate co-owners of an Irish-bred racehorse, Givemefive, who won under JP Murtagh on his last outing at Roscommon in September.

McDowell hasn't won on tour since the 2020 Saudi International and after going winless and failing to notch even one top-10 finish with LIV Golf over the past two years, he was jettisoned by Martin Kaymer's Cleeks team but rescued from a potential move to the Asian Tour when he was handed a lifeline by pal Koepka, whose caddie Ricky Elliott is also one of the Portrush man's best friends.

"I know what I'm still capable of,” McDowell told LIV Golf of his ambitions for 2024 after finishing 2023 with three successive top 14 finishes in Asia.

"I really feel like I've started to play great the last few months and I'm just missing that little bit of X factor – and I feel like the X factor's going to come from the pressure of trying to hang with a guy like Brooks Koepka, who's one of the best players in the world, the intensity and the mentality that he brings.

"I think it's just what I need for myself to see if I can produce the golf that I know I'm still capable of.

"I'm hoping '24 is going to be the comeback season for me. Compete, try and win an event or two. Like I say, perfect timing for me right now."

As for Givemefive, McDowell turned a flat runner into a hurdler and persuaded Koepka to buy a share after the Floridian won the PGA Championship in May for his fifth career major.

"I'm like, mate, this is a perfect horse for you," McDowell said. "You just won your fifth and this boy's called Givemefive."

McDowell replaces Koepka's brother Chase, who was four LIV golfers relegated after finishing the 2023 season ranked 45th or below in the season-long Individual points standings.

McDowell had little success with the Cleeks and after finishing in the Open Zone as the 42nd-ranked player, he became a free agent and admitted he faced great uncertainty about his future until he asked Elliott to put in a good word.

"It's been a difficult time the last couple of months, obviously being out of contract and looking at the rankings and doing the math and realising there wasn't really going to be a lot of open opportunities and open slots within LIV for me to be able to slot into," McDowell told the Saudi-funded league.

"Being able to have relationships and have respect levels from guys like Brooks was really, really important. …

"I was disappointed that the Cleeks wanted to move in a different direction, didn't want to pick me up. But I guess sometimes things happen for a reason. I couldn't be happier than I am right now."

As for his relationship with Elliott, he said: "I obviously didn't want to put Ricky in a tough situation with Brooks and kind of be an advocate for me coming to Smash next year.

"But certainly there were plenty of whispers in the ears over a few beers, trying to kind of say, Hey, listen, how cool would this be? Can you put a good word in for me with the chief?"

McDowell (44) hopes to be an asset to Koepka (33), who won the LIV Golf Orlando event but finished just third position in the season-long standings as Smash failed to advance from the quarter-finals in the Team Championship.

"He likes great competitors," McDowell said. "I think that's why we've always had a little bit of mutual respect for each other. He sees a little bit of himself in me and vice-versa. …

"I feel like I bring that little bit of experience and that little bit of grit and determination and hopefully can help Brooks carry some of the load and carry some of the water and give him the opportunity just to go and be the best he can be.

"Help him handle some of the team logistics and the team media stuff and whatever it is he needs me to be, I'm certainly ready and willing to be that guy for him.

"And obviously first and foremost, play as hard as I can and see if I can go and be competitive next season and win a tournament."

Givemefive will have its first outing over jumps over two miles at Newcastle this Saturday, and McDowell, whose grinding game has brought him 16 worldwide winds, including the 2010 US Open, has high hopes.

"He's a two-miler plus," McDowell said. "So he's a little grinder as well.”