Graeme McDowell Optimistic Golf Is 'Through A Lot Of The Pain' Partially Caused By 'Very Healthy Disruptor' LIV

Graeme McDowell is optimistic golf is "through a lot of the pain" instigated by its civil war and the sport will be "in great shape" once the main tours in men's professional golf have completed negotiations over its future.

Discussions between the PGA Tour, LIV Golf's backer - the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, and the DP World Tour have been ongoing for almost 10 months now, ever since the shock June 6 agreement confirmed that parties which once fought against each other would attempt to work out a unified path forward.

And although PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan recently stated that those conversations have been "productive," it appears as though there is nothing close to a clear end in sight.

As a result, viewing figures for PGA Tour events - at least - are significantly down as fans' interest in the sport declines due to the constant talk of money and lack of positive conclusion in terms of seeing the world's best male players competing against each other more regularly again.

While a March meeting between PIF chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan, Monahan, and the six PGA Tour player directors is hoped to have further chipped away at a new dawn for men's pro golf, both sides will continue operating in the knowledge very little is set to change in the short term.

Speaking to LIV Golf's Fairway To Heaven podcast recently, 2010 US Open winner, McDowell admits he "hates" where the game is at the moment but is confident golf will be a greater sport in the end.

Initially asked if he had any regrets over making the switch from the PGA Tour to LIV in 2022 ahead of the league's inaugural event at the Centurion Club near London, McDowell said: "Certainly no regrets. I don't have any personal regrets.

"I hate where the game kind of is right now and that's obviously not necessarily on me, that's just with the powers that be within the game of golf. I think, ultimately, we're going to come out the other side of this with the game of golf in great shape."

A significant factor in McDowell's decision to depart the PGA Tour for the LIV Golf League - along with many others - was the appeal of playing less golf for more money.

Other pro golfers - including Major winners such as Jon Rahm, Cameron Smith, and Brooks Koepka - have followed suit, causing the status quo to be knocked significantly off balance.

But, in McDowell's eyes at least, that is why LIV has been and will be great for the sport - it's ability to disrupt.

He continued: "I think in any business there's always disruption, inevitably there's going to be disruption. I think LIV has been a very healthy disruptor to a sport that the business model was slightly wrong and things needed to change. Unfortunately, change can be painful, but I think we're through a lot of the pain.”

LIV Golf is set to return for its fifth event of the 2024 season at Trump National Doral in Miami between April 5-7.