Former U.S. Open champion and LIV Golf rebel Graeme McDowell has stated players in the breakaway league “deserve” a major ruling change.

McDowell defected to LIV in 2022 but has not played in a major since teeing up in the inaugural Saudi-backed league’s event in the summer of the same year. The 45-year-old has earned over $9million in prize money in his 34 LIV starts but his success hasn’t correlated to his position in the Official World Golf Rankings.

The former world No. 4 is currently ranked 1248 in the world with LIV’s tournaments not being rewarded with OWGR accreditation, resulting in players on the breakaway circuit relying on earnings from majors in the rankings.

Seven LIV players were invited to play in the PGA Championship at Valhalla this year. While the USGA are considering ways that players can qualify for the U.S. Open based on their LIV performances. McDowell told Bunkered that he hopes the requirements can be changed, insisting that rebel players “deserve” change.

“It’s disappointing not to have more access to the majors,” McDowell said. “LIV are working really hard behind the scenes to continue to get us access to the major events which I believe we deserve access to them.

“Whether that be winners out here or top five in the money list, not already exempt. I’m hoping they’re going to come to us with some pretty good news. Fingers crossed. If you win on the PGA Tour you get exempt for various majors. You’re telling me a win out here is not similar… people will believe it is not of similar stature but I believe it is, if not better than some PGA Tour events.”

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Graeme McDowell is yet to play in a major since joining LIV Golf ( 

Image:

Jason Butler/Getty Images)

McDowell added: “World rankings don’t reflect that anymore because our world rankings are just getting pummelled because we’re not getting any credit for what we’re doing.”

Fellow LIV Golfer and Cleeks GC captain Martin Kaymer admitted that he warned Dane Kjettrup, who signed a multi-year LIV contract to join his team, that there is no obvious pathway into the majors. “I told Frederik quite honestly and things that some people don’t like to hear, we don’t know yet if there’s going to be a pathway to the majors,” Kaymer said.

“This is up to you if you want to take that risk. What I’ve heard from the league is that it looks pretty good. Hopefully next year we have some kind of way of qualifying for majors. We cannot say for sure this will happen. But he was fine with that.”