"I miss the majors" - McDowell eyes chance to win Masters and Open starts in Hong Kong next week

Graeme McDowell of Smash GC hits his shot from the 16th tee during the final round of LIV Golf Virginia at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club on Sunday, June 08, 2025 in Gainesville, Virginia. (Photo by Mateo Villalba/LIV Golf)

LIV Golf star Graeme McDowell admits he misses golf's elite events, but he still has a chance to secure his first major start in five years in next week's Link Hong Kong Open.

The Portrush native (46) won the 2010 US Open at Pebble Beach, but after seeing his exemption run out in 2020, he's hungry to play in a major again for the first time since the COVID-delayed 2020 Masters at Augusta National.

"I miss the majors, I miss the access to those and obviously it's an amazing prize," the Rathmore man said ahead of next week's return to Fanling, which is part of the International Series on the Asian Tour.

The winner of the event will earn a Masters invitation under Augusta National's new exemption criteria for select national opens while the highest finishing non-exempt player will secure a start in The Open at Royal Birdkale.

"I played the Masters in 2020; that was the last time I played a Major," said McDowell, who last played in The Open at Royal Portrush in 2019.

"Obviously, I love what I'm doing, I love the LIV Golf schedule, but I do miss the big tournaments."

While there is a $360,000 cheque for the winner, McDowell and fellow LIV stars like Talor Gooch, Martin Kaymer, Thomas Pieters, and Paul Casey also have their eye on those major starts.

"There have been some great champions at Fanling, and it is a golf course that I believe I can play well on, and have played well in the past there," said McDowell, who finished eighth and 12th in his last two starts at the Hong Kong Golf Club during recent LIV Golf visits.

"I love the city, I love the food and the experience of Hong Kong. I think the golf course is obviously such an old-school test, a classic Asian golf course.

"So clearly I'll be going there next week, ready to go, and obviously I will be highly motivated.

"LIV Golf has gone there the last couple of years and then back in the European Tour days, I would always come to the Hong Kong Open.

"I feel like I must have played maybe a dozen tournaments at Fanling over the years."

McDowell was ranked as high as fourth in the world in 2010, when he won the US Open, snatched the winning point for Europe in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and went on to claim his fourth win of a memorable season by outgunning Tiger Woods in a playoff for the Chevron World Challenge.

But he lost form in 2017-18, lost his PGA TOUR card and has since slipped to 2031st in the world following his decision to move to LIV Golf in 2022.