McDowell set for LIV Golf promoted International Series England event
Former US Open champion Graeme McDowell from Northern Ireland will play in next month’s International Series England
Former US Open champion Graeme McDowell gave the strongest indication yet he's set to join the LIV Golf Series after committing to the Asian Tour's opening International Series event in the UK.
The winner of the 2020 Saudi International, McDowell (42), joins South Africa's Justin Harding, India's Shiv Kapur and Jeev Milkha Singh, former US Open winner Michael Campbell and Waterford's Kevin Phelan in next month's $2 million International Series England at Slaley Hall Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort near Newcastle from 2-5 June.
"The International Series England is a landmark event for the Asian Tour, which provides our members with a great opportunity to compete internationally in an exciting, new location," said Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner & CEO, Asian Tour, which has received a US$200m investment from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund.
"An incredibly strong field will assemble for the tournament, which is a reflection of the appetite our members have for the International Series and will also allow us to showcase the Asian Tour's depth in world-class talent to European fans.
"We have also received enormous interest from international players wanting to be part of the Asian Tour having seen our steady growth over the past few months."
China's Ashun Wu, American Sihwan Kim, Thailand's Jazz Wattananond and Australia's Wade Ormsby have also entered alongside England's Lee Slattery, former amateur champion Jovan Rebula, Americans Peter Uihlein and Andy Ogletree, both former winners of the US Amateur Championship, and rising Australian stars Blake Windred and Louis Dobbelaar.
Some of the game’s leading amateurs have been invited, including Thailand's 15-year-old Ratchanon 'TK' Chantananuwat and recent Lytham Trophy winner John Gough from England.
The International Series England is promoted by LIV Golf and will be followed by eight more International Series events this season.
McDowell has also submitted his forms for the LIV Golf Invitational series and is reportedly weighing up his options.
Like Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter, the 2010 US Open champion might be giving up his chances of further involvement in the Ryder Cup as a player, assistant captain or captain.
If he played all eight events of this year's LIV Golf series, he would collect a minimum of $1.19 million.
His entry for Slaley Hall could indicate his long term commitment to the new, Saudi-financed tour run by CEO Greg Norman.
McDowell hasn't won since he captured the Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisors in February 2020.
He beat Dustin Johnson by two strokes on that occasion, but his most recent top-10 came in the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship in March 2021, and he is currently ranked 370th in the world.
