McDowell retained by Smash GC in LIV lifeline

Ronan MacNamara

8th January 2025

Graeme McDowell will continue with Brooks Koepka’s Smash GC team for the 2025 LIV Golf League season after the franchise confirmed he and Jason Kokrak would be retained for the upcoming campaign.

It is the second time that McDowell has been handed a lifeline on the Saudi backed breakaway tour following another underwhelming season.

The 2010 US Open winner joined LIV Golf in 2022 but has registered just four top-10 finishes across his three seasons.

In November 2023, McDowell was in hot water when his two-year deal with the Cleeks expired following a poor season where he finished 42nd on the overall leaderboard placing him in no mans land with just the top-24 retaining their status.

The 45-year-old was bailed out by Koepka and Smash GC last year but he ended the 2024 season in the Open Zone meaning he was a free agent but he is set for a second successive year with the team.

Elsewhere, Branden Grace has been retained by the Stingers GC despite being relegated from the 2024 LIV Golf League and subsequently failing to win back his place via the LIV Promotions event last month.

Despite finishing in the drop zone, Rangegoats player Bubba Watson has also been retained by the franchise meaning half of the relegated players shall be returning for the 2025 LIV Golf League.

McDowell could be joined on LIV Golf by his fellow Northern Irishman Tom McKibbin, with the 22-year-old Holywood star heavily linked with an €8 million move to join Jon Rahm’s Legion XII team.

The 2025 campaign gets underway next month and McKibbin refused to rule out a bombshell move.

“I’m not going to make any comments this week out of respect for Justin (Rose, Team GB&I captain) and Luke (Donald) and this tournament,” McKibbin told Golf Digest Middle East in a brief interview ahead of this week’s Team Cup in Abu Dhabi.