Graeme McDowell has called for a player vote to decide whether or not LIV golfers should be allowed to compete on the DP World Tour.
The Northern Irishman is one of 17 players in this week’s BMW PGA Championship field at Wentworth who have moved across to the Saudi-backed LIV Golf series.
Tensions have been high this week in Surrey between those who stayed loyal to the status quo and those who left, with Rory McIlroy saying the situation is “hard to stomach”, while Shane Lowry revealed that he “can’t stand” certain players taking up spots in this week’s field.
Long-time European Tour members like McDowell likely didn’t fall into that bracket and while GMac, along with Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia have had their suspensions temporarily stayed on appeal, McDowell would like the DP World Tour membership to ultimately decide their long-term fate instead of the upcoming court date in February.
“I don’t care about anything a courtroom suggests, this to me is about DP World Tour members and whether they feel like me and the other big names that are playing LIV Golf can bring any value to this Tour moving forward,” McDowell said.
“If they think that’s something they don’t want, great; let’s get to that decision and move on because the lack of clarity is just not good for anybody.
“I wish I’d have asked the question at the (players) meeting the other night. What is the process? Is there a way to expedite it? Does it have to happen in a court of law?
“Let’s send 326 emails out (the Tour has 326 members) and maybe two videos; one from the LIV players saying we’d love to support this tour eight, 10, 12 times a year and then the other side of it is Keith Pelley’s statement this week.”
There’s no denying that LIV golfers are in Wentworth this week for much-needed world ranking points with none currently available on the Saudi-circuit.
And McDowell even suggested that he’d forgo prize money altogether if it meant a chance to compete again regularly on the DP World Tour.
“I mean, what am I here for this week? I’m here for competitive golf and the world rankings,” he added.
“I don’t typically play for charity much but if it meant I could come and play golf in Europe and give my prize money to charity every week and that made everyone happy, then let’s go.
“It’s a bigger-picture conversation. I just wish there was an easy solution. I hate it’s divided people, pulled friendships apart, hurt a Tour I care deeply about which is this one.”
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