After winning three Ryder Cups, Graeme McDowell would love to be involved again in some capacity in the future – even if it meant making the drinks.
A four-time player, McDowell has also twice been a vice-captain so it looked like he was being lined up for a future captaincy date – before the LIV Golf situation erupted.
Henrik Stenson lost his captaincy role for 2023 after joining LIV Golf, and nailed-on future captains Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood now face the prospect of missing out unless the situation finally gets ironed out.
LIV players Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton are in Luke Donald’s side for Bethpage Black, but McDowell is not involved in the backroom staff – as much as he’d like to be.
“Jon Rahm asked me earlier this year if I was asked to be a vice-captain at Bethpage Black would I accept it. I replied if they asked me to make coffees for you – I would go and make coffees,” McDowell told BBC Sport.
“That’s how much it means to me and how much I want to be there in a supporting role for Team Europe.”
Under different circumstances, McDowell would be heavy favorite to be European team captain at Adare Manor for the 2027 Ryder Cup – and he’s desperate to be there in some capacity.
“It goes without saying as we look towards Adare Manor in two years’ time I would do anything to be in that European team room, to be part of that team, to put that team Europe shirt on one more time, to have the badge on my chest, to cheer the guys on and help Europe win another Ryder Cup.
“I hope to be there. I feel like I have something to give back.”
(Image credit: Getty Images)
McDowell will be cheering Donald’s side on from afar then, as he accepts that the current golfing landscape makes it impossible for him to be involved in the team.
“I wish Team Europe all the best at Bethpage Black,” he added. “I will be pulling for them every shot and wish I was there, but the politics is a lot of levels above what I do, it’s definitely the powers that be that will figure this out for us.”
McDowell, who said he would “expect to be back again with LIV” next season, added to the BBC that he thought about playing in the upcoming Amgen Irish Open but ultimately decided against it.
“If I thought I wasn’t playing LIV in 2026, the DP World Tour is something I would transition back into to…
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