Graeme McDowell's replacement for LIV Golf Greenbrier has been confirmed after the Northern Irishman was banned for one tournament as a result of violating the league's anti-doping policy.
McDowell revealed on social media that he had been randomly selected for a test as part of LIV's anti-doping program and "had mistakenly used an over-the-counter medicated decongestant stick for congestion that included a banned substance" - resulting in a positive test for R-methamphetamine.
He will now miss the penultimate event in LIV's regular season and has been fined $125,000 as well as having to hand back the $128,000 he won at LIV Golf Nashville. McDowell's individual results and his team's total that week has also been disqualified, with prize money and points retroactively adjusted.
With the 2010 US Open champion temporarily out of the picture, Golf Monthly has been told that John Catlin will tee it up for Smash GC this weekend, moving over from Bryson DeChambeau's Crushers GC - where he had been covering for the injured Charles Howell III.
However, with the American back to full health and ready for a first appearance since LIV Golf Singapore in May, Catlin was set to lose a tee time with the PIF-backed competition until news of McDowell's misdemeanour broke on Sunday.
pic.twitter.com/y2jwwlndhAAugust 11, 2024
Catlin - who is in line to earn a full-time LIV Golf spot next season anyway thanks to leading the Asian Tour's Order of Merit and International Series Rankings - has risen up the LIV Golf money list quite quickly in just four starts having banked a little over $1million.
He earned $182,500 for a 24th-place finish on his LIV Golf debut in Houston prior to picking up $562,500 after his best result so far - a T7 effort at LIV Golf Nashville. $201,667 was pocketed by Catlin as a result of finishing at LIV Golf Andalucia, and a further $145,200 came his way after a 34th-place result at LIV Golf UK last time out.
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Paul McGinley Proposes ‘One Of The Things That I Think LIV Have Got Right’ To Be Applied To PGA TourThe Golf Channel analyst thinks a key change implemented by LIV Golf could make all the difference to the PGA Tour
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Joaquin Niemann Wins LIV Golf Singapore TitleThe Chilean won his second LIV Golf event of the season thanks to a bogey-free 65 on Sunday in Singapore
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Jon Rahm Equals Bryson DeChambeau's LIV Golf Record After Strong Start In SingaporeThe Legion XIII captain matched Bryson DeChambeau's record for consecutive scores under-par in the second round of LIV Golf Singapore
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‘I Think It’s Dead, I Think The Other Side Is Gone’ - Lee Trevino Gives Take On PGA Tour-LIV Golf Divide And Calls For Players And Caddies To Speed UpLee Trevino was full of praise for the PGA Tour and its immediate future, as he believes that a deal with the Saudi PIF may not come at all
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Dustin Johnson Goes From Worst To First At LIV Golf SingaporeAfter finishing dead last a week ago, Dustin Johnson fired a brilliant 63 to lead LIV Golf Singapore by three to quieten all the talk about his struggles
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'They Need Us' - Bubba Watson Calls For Top 15 From LIV To Qualify For All The MajorsBubba Watson says the top 15 players in the LIV Golf standings should all get into the Majors the following year - as the big four events need them
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Brandel Chamblee Claims There Would Be 'Uproar On The PGA Tour' If LIV Golfers Were Allowed To Play Signature EventsThe Golf Channel analyst claimed 'it would be wrong' if players from the LIV Golf League were allowed to play Signature Events on the PGA Tour
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How Can LIV Golf And PGA Tour Work Together? Paul McGinley Reveals Proposal For UnityThe former Ryder Cup captain explained how a PGA Tour and PIF merger could work, with McGinley claiming the circuits need to 'find some common ground'
