‘I Would Do Anything’ - Graeme McDowell Would Even 'Go And Make Coffees' If It Meant Ryder Cup Return
Graeme McDowell says he would even go and make the coffees if it meant he got a role in the European backroom team for the Ryder Cup


After winning three Ryder Cups, Graeme McDowell would love to be involved again in some capacity in the future - even if it meant making the drinks.
A four-time player, McDowell has also twice been a vice-captain so it looked like he was being lined up for a future captaincy date - before the LIV Golf situation erupted.
Henrik Stenson lost his captaincy role for 2023 after joining LIV Golf, and nailed-on future captains Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood now face the prospect of missing out unless the situation finally gets ironed out.
LIV players Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton are in Luke Donald's side for Bethpage Black, but McDowell is not involved in the backroom staff - as much as he'd like to be.
"Jon Rahm asked me earlier this year if I was asked to be a vice-captain at Bethpage Black would I accept it. I replied if they asked me to make coffees for you - I would go and make coffees," McDowell told BBC Sport.
"That's how much it means to me and how much I want to be there in a supporting role for Team Europe."
Under different circumstances, McDowell would be heavy favorite to be European team captain at Adare Manor for the 2027 Ryder Cup - and he's desperate to be there in some capacity.
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"It goes without saying as we look towards Adare Manor in two years' time I would do anything to be in that European team room, to be part of that team, to put that team Europe shirt on one more time, to have the badge on my chest, to cheer the guys on and help Europe win another Ryder Cup.
"I hope to be there. I feel like I have something to give back."
McDowell will be cheering Donald's side on from afar then, as he accepts that the current golfing landscape makes it impossible for him to be involved in the team.
"I wish Team Europe all the best at Bethpage Black," he added. "I will be pulling for them every shot and wish I was there, but the politics is a lot of levels above what I do, it's definitely the powers that be that will figure this out for us."
McDowell, who said he would "expect to be back again with LIV" next season, added to the BBC that he thought about playing in the upcoming Amgen Irish Open but ultimately decided against it.
"If I thought I wasn't playing LIV in 2026, the DP World Tour is something I would transition back into to give myself one or two last seasons to see if I still have it or not," he added.
"I decided I didn't want to play there this year because I didn't want to go and make up the numbers, I didn't want to go there with no other reason but just to play another Irish Open.
"I like to play with a bigger picture and a bigger goal in mind."

Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website. Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush.
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