Former U.S. Open champion and LIV Golf rebel Graeme McDowell has stated players in the breakaway league deserve a major ruling change.
McDowell defected to LIV in 2022 but has not played in a major since teeing up in the inaugural Saudi-backed leagues event in the summer of the same year. The 45-year-old has earned over $9million in prize money in his 34 LIV starts but his success hasnt correlated to his position in the Official World Golf Rankings.
The former world No. 4 is currently ranked 1248 in the world with LIVs tournaments not being rewarded with OWGR accreditation, resulting in players on the breakaway circuit relying on earnings from majors in the rankings.
Seven LIV players were invited to play in the PGA Championship at Valhalla this year. While the USGA are considering ways that players can qualify for the U.S. Open based on their LIV performances. McDowell told Bunkered that he hopes the requirements can be changed, insisting that rebel players deserve change.
Its disappointing not to have more access to the majors, McDowell said. LIV are working really hard behind the scenes to continue to get us access to the major events which I believe we deserve access to them.
Whether that be winners out here or top five in the money list, not already exempt. Im hoping theyre going to come to us with some pretty good news. Fingers crossed. If you win on the PGA Tour you get exempt for various majors. Youre telling me a win out here is not similar… people will believe it is not of similar stature but I believe it is, if not better than some PGA Tour events.”
McDowell added: “World rankings dont reflect that anymore because our world rankings are just getting pummelled because were not getting any credit for what were doing.”
Fellow LIV Golfer and Cleeks GC captain Martin Kaymer admitted that he warned Dane Kjettrup, who signed a multi-year LIV contract to join his team, that there is no obvious pathway into the majors. I told Frederik quite honestly and things that some people dont like to hear, we dont know yet if theres going to be a pathway to the majors, Kaymer said.
This is up to you if you want to take that risk. What Ive heard from the league is that it looks pretty good. Hopefully next year we have some kind of way of qualifying for majors. We cannot say for sure this will happen. But he was fine with that.
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