‘We All Bleed Blue’ - McDowell Hoping ‘Time Heals’ For LIV Players To Make Ryder Cup Return

Graeme McDowell has featured in four Ryder Cups as a player, where he won 53% of his matches. Along with his time as a player, he has was a vice-captain in 2018 and 2021, enjoying a total of four Ryder Cup victories as a player and vice-captain.

However, since his move to LIV Golf, McDowell has seen his chances of featuring in the team event extinguished, for now, with the Northern Irishman hoping "there will come a time when we can all put our differences behind us."

Writing in his Telegraph column, McDowell, who joined the Public Investment Funded backed League in 2022 and has played every LIV Golf event since, claimed that he is "gutted" to not be in Rome this week for the 44th edition of the tournament.

"Representing Europe in the Ryder Cup – which I’ve been privileged to do four times as a player and twice as a vice-captain – has been the biggest honour of my career. Obviously I knew that joining LIV would potentially see me miss out on being in that team room this time and I accept that. I made my peace with this over a year ago and now that Ryder Cup week is here, I look forward to cheering on Team Europe from afar. 

"To me it doesn’t matter what Tour in the world you choose to make your living, when the Ryder Cup comes round, we all bleed blue. Hopefully there will come a time when we can all put our differences behind us and guys like Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Paul Casey, Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer, Henrik Stenson and myself can be part of the Ryder Cup ecosystem once again. Time heals."

Back at the end of June this year, McDowell claimed that he believes he has a future in the Ryder Cup, despite admitting his form isn't good enough to be considered for Luke Donald’s team in this year’s tournament. “I’m not playing well enough to be considered for the 12 places.

“Do I believe I can play in the future? Yes, I believe I’m good enough to be out there. Would I like to be in Rome to help Luke Donald out? Of course I would love to be there, I love everything there is about the European Ryder Cup team.”

Just a few months prior, he had admitted to Golf by Tour Miss that he would be "very disappointed" to not be a future Ryder Cup captain or vice-captain but says he has "accepted" the fact that his chances are likely gone.

Now though, following the news of a merger between the PIF and PGA Tour, could there be a way back for those who left to join LIV Golf? Currently, there has been no update of what could occur, but with the Ryder Cup heading to Ireland's Adare Manor in 2027, McDowell would relish the chance to be captaining a European side at the Limerick-based course.