McDowell does not rule out bombshell Ryder Cup turnaround: "Maybe we will see the Garcia-McIlroy pairing bouncing down the fairways In Italy”
Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland plays his stroke from the No. 2 tee during Round 1 of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club, Thursday, November 12, 2020.
Graeme McDowell does not rule out seeing Sergio Garcia and Rory McIlroy being reunited in the Ryder Cup in Rome.
Garcia confessed at Valderrama on Thursday that he had made peace with his former Ryder Cup partner at the US Open and while McDowell and Garcia are amongst the LIV players who are now ineligible to play in the Ryder Cup this year or captain the side at any stage, he believes the merger between the PIF and the European and US tours shows “there’s light at the end of the tunnel”.
Speaking on the Bunkered podcast, the 2010 US Open champion opened up about his year with the Saudi-financed tour, his unwilling exit from the PGA TOUR and the DP World Tour, the fact his sponsors “seemed to go up in flames overnight 12 months ago” and his belief that he hasn’t fallen out with anyone and that all bridges can be mended.
While he believes LIV Golf has made a mistake by playing too many events in the US, where he feels fans have been swayed by a media that portrays LIV Golf as “the devil golf tour”, the Antrim star (43) does not rule out a Ryder Cup reprieve, even though that would require rule changes.
“I mean, listen, you know, I'm a very realistic lad,” McDowell said. “I know I'm not playing well enough right now to be part of the 12 (in Rome). Would I love to be in the backroom stuff for Luke Donald? Of course I would.
“But I think he's too far down the line with his backroom staff right now that, you know, they should continue on and go to Rome and try and do the best job they can because I know how much stuff goes on behind the scenes to lay down the foundations for a successful Ryder Cup week.
“But from a playing personnel point of view, definitely a couple of lads are here on LIV, you know, certain Spanish individual who's still pretty good at golf. You know, maybe we will see the Garcia-McIlroy pairing bouncing down the fairways in Italy. That would be cool.
“And I don't think we should ever rule that out. If one of our European players goes to Hoylake in a few weeks time and wins a Claret Jug, I mean, should they play for Europe in the Ryder Cup this year? Of course, the should. Of course, they should.
“At the end of the day, it's Europe versus America - a European-born player versus an American-born player, and it was never supposed to be tour against tour.
“It's so sad that we're here, but I’m happy there’s light at the end of this tunnel. From my own personal point of view, I’d love to be in Rome, probably not going to be there and I fully understand that and get it.
“Does this mean that, you know, if I go on a tear the next couple of years, could I play in the next Ryder Cup of Bethpage? That would be amazing.”
As for the chances of Ian Poulter and Phil Mickelson going up against each other as captains at Bethpage in 2025, he does not rule that out either.
"That would have been epicness,” he said. “Will it happen? A few months ago, I thought there was no chance it would ever happen. But you know, who knows, who knows.”
As for his own chances of returning the Ryder Cup fold, the man who was considered a strong candidate for the Ryder Cup at Adare Manor in 2027 did not close that door either.
“You know, I'd love to be part of the Ryder Cup ecosystem again, at some point — player, vice-captain, captain, you know, who knows,” he said.
“It's a special tournament to me, I love it. Love desperately to be part of that again.
“Listen, I'd love to be part of the European Tour, Irish Opens and Scottish Opens to support the events that are very special to me going forward. But like I say, a lot of stuff has to be figured out.”
As for LIV Golf, he believes it can still work if perceptions change though he admits that only the contracted players have been given any guarantees.
“I think maybe one of the small mistakes we've made the last 12 months is trying to play too much golf in the US and a market that, you know, has read too much media about how bad we really are,” he said. “That we’re the devil golf tour.
"It's like going to these markets that are just not ready for us, simple as, when we have gone other places that are excited about us, and we've felt what what's possible.
“I think that’s the cool thing, you know, but there's obviously a lot of things have to happen.”
