LIV GOLF INVITATIONAL SERIES: LONDON

June 9, 2022

Graeme McDowell

Centurion Club

Quick Quotes

Q. What did you make of the timing and the statement from the PGA TOUR today?

GRAEME McDOWELL: You're going to have to tell me what it was.

Q. They suspended all 17 players from the PGA TOUR now.

GRAEME McDOWELL: Obviously expected. You know, the PGA TOUR has to -- they have to do what they feel is necessary. Obviously I mentioned earlier in the week, I don't think it's healthy for the sport. We're here because we believe we're independent contractors and we can do -- we should be allowed to compete and play where we want to all over the world. You know, a guy like Sergio García has been doing that for the last five years of his life. I've been doing it for the last 20 years of my life with no hesitation and no arguments from anybody.

But we're in the midst of a competitive threat. We have a compelling option which is not agreeable by the big tours in the word. We have a situation. So it's disappointing. Not a whole lot we can do about it obviously. As players, we're here understanding the consequences of what may lay ahead of us, and you know, obviously we're trying to operate best we can and the team at LIV have done a great job helping us navigate those potential consequences, and have said they will stand by us as we go through this processes.

Q. You were listed in the letter as one of the people who resigned his PGA Tour?

GRAEME McDOWELL: Yeah, I actually resigned about 30 minutes before I teed it up today. It was a tough decision. I wanted to keep the moral high ground and kind of remain a member of the tour because I really didn't feel like I needed to resign nor that I should have to resign.

It was a very difficult decision. I kind of resigned out of an abundance of caution honestly because I feel like it puts me in a less litigious situation regards getting drawn into anything unnecessarily.

But like I say, I didn't want to resign. I love the PGA TOUR. It's been great to me. This is not about the PGA TOUR is a bad tour. This is about being able to add on additional opportunities to my golf career. Really hard.

Unfortunately this is going to be short-term pain, but I think all the players that are here this week have only been strengthened in their confidence that we are making the right decisions here because we feel like the execution level that we're seeing here, the passion, the love of the game of golf that these guys have at LIV, that's why we're here. I feel like confidence has been strengthened. Even in the face of consequences which we knew were kind of on the horizon.

Q. How much have you talked with other players who resigned this week?

GRAEME McDOWELL: Yeah, I have spoken to some players. Obviously we have spoken to the lawyers. We have the LIV legal team which are fantastic. We have our own legal team. Some players have decided that, like I said, out of an abundance of caution that they were going to resign and try to stay away from any litigation.

Some kind of guys are exactly like I said earlier, they believe that they shouldn't be in the situation where they have to resign. They don't feel like they are doing anything wrong.

Okay. We haven't been issued releases. We feel like we should have been issued releases. We've done it for the last 20 years, operated all over the world. We're in the U.K. You've players like myself and Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood, we are in our home markets here. We should be allowed to operate here as professional golfers.

But hey, listen, you know, we all know the situation is about something bigger. It's competition and it's not liked. They are having to play the game the way they feel they have to play it, which is playing hard ball.

Like I say, we feel confident that we are well-protected and we are going to just try and do our best.

Q. What's your feeling about The European Tour and how they might react?

GRAEME McDOWELL: Golf really much of a hunch there, I've got to be honest. I felt like the PGA TOUR was going to take the hard stance. We have a strategic alignment -- we have a strategic alliance, excuse me, and will Keith follow suit? I hope he doesn't. I think he has a fantastic opportunity here with a lot of European players and European Tour players that would like to subsidize their schedule with other events, especially if we are not allowed to play on the PGA TOUR. I really hope The European Tour makes a good decision. They may have to follow suit with what Jay and the PGA TOUR are doing, so watch this space.