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Another major champion quits LIV Golf ahead of proposed relaunch

A number of high-profile players have walked away ahead of the proposed LIV Golf 2.0 relaunch

Graeme McDowell will not be part of LIV Golf moving forward
Graeme McDowell will not be part of LIV Golf moving forward (Getty)

Graeme McDowell has become the latest golfer to rule himself out of LIV Golf's relaunched league.

The former US Open champion, 47, from Northern Ireland, joined LIV Golf in 2022.

He played for multiple teams in the breakaway circuit, most recently OKGC in 2026, but has now decided to walk away.

"I've decided not to pursue LIV 2.0," McDowell confirmed in an X post on Monday. "I'm grateful for the opportunity I've had over the last four years and want to thank everyone who has been part of that journey. I look forward to the next chapter in my career."

McDowell's major title came at the 2010 US Open at Pebble Beach. He also won 11 events on the European tour and four on the PGA Tour.

His defection follows a string of announced departures. Ian Poulter, Tyrrell Hatton and Tom McKibbin said on Friday that they will not return to LIV in 2027.

Jon Rahm will not be a part of LIV 2.0
Jon Rahm will not be a part of LIV 2.0 (PA)

Jon Rahm, Sergio Garcia, David Puig, Abraham Ancer, Charles Howell III, Adrian Meronk, Louis Oosthuizen and Thomas Pieters are also part of the exodus.

The league's financial backdrop has shifted after Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund announced earlier this year that it would end its financial support of LIV Golf.

LIV Golf is currently going through Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings.

CEO Scott O'Neil has lined up funding for LIV 2.0 as the league goes through those proceedings.

Earlier this month, Rory McIlroy declared that LIV Golf is no longer a threat to the traditional game ahead of the proposed relaunch.

“LIV had probably like, half of a good idea that was executed pretty poorly,” McIlroy told the Bloomberg New Economy forum in New Delhi.

“They had a lot of capital but I think a lot of that capital was wasted in some ways and I think they could have used that money a lot more strategically and could have partnered with some of the governing bodies of the game and certainly could have done better things with it instead of just enriching tour pros who were already making a lot of money.

“BC Partners have come in and seen an opportunity (but) it looks like every day that goes by there’s another player that was on LIV who is not going to join LIV 2.0 so I think it is going to be very difficult to get out of this Chapter 11 bankruptcy and go forward.

“But if they do it is certainly not going to be a threat to the traditional order of the game as it once was.”

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