Graeme McDowell is longing for a return to golf’s biggest stage as he bids to lock up spots at next year’s Masters and Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.
In a fortnight, McDowell, who hasn’t made an appearance since the 2020 Masters, will tee it up at the Hong Kong Open where the winner will be exempt into two of the four majors for 2026.
G Mac joined LIV Golf in 2022 and has been unable to earn world ranking points via the Saudi backed tour. He has tried in vain to pre-qualify for the US Open and Open Championship since then, but in addition to the US$360,000 winner’s check and crucial International Series Rankings points in Hong Kong, he could give himself a Major lifeline.
“Would be amazing to win,” McDowell said. “I played the Masters in 2020, that was the last time I played a major. Obviously, I love what I’m doing; I love the LIV Golf schedule but I do miss the big tournaments. I miss the majors, I miss the access to those and obviously it’s an amazing prize.
“There has been some great champions at Fanling and it is a golf course that I believe I can play well on, and have played well in the past there. So clearly I’ll be going there next week ready to go and obviously I will be highly motivated.”
In total, 31 LIV Golf players including Tom McKibbin will compete at Fanling as the International Series which is part of the elite Asian Tour events attracts a stellar field.
“The International Series has been a fantastic addition and it continues to go from strength to strength,” McDowell said. “You’ll see that in the strong field in Hong Kong, it is heavily represented by top LIV Golf players, and it is the same in Saudi Arabia (for the PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investement Advisers) – one of the best fields of the year outside the U.S.
“These pathways really matter, especially given the ongoing discussions around LIV Golf players and access to majors. The International Series and the Asian Tour play a crucial role in strengthening those opportunities.”
McDowell has a good record in Hong Kong. From 2007 to 2010, he played in four successive Hong Kong Opens with a best finish of outright fifth in 2010.
The 46-year-old also played LIV Golf Hong Kong at Fanling in 2024 and this year, finishing T8 and T12 respectively.
“LIV Golf has gone there the last couple of years and then back in the European Tour days, I would always come to the Hong Kong Open,” McDowell said. “I feel like I must have played maybe a dozen tournaments at Fanling over the years. I love the city, I love the food and the experience of Hong Kong. I think the golf course, it’s obviously such an old-school test, a classic Asian golf course.”
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