Former US Open champion Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland is leaving LIV Golf as the league faces growing uncertainty over its future.
McDowell announced Monday that he had decided not to take part in LIV Golf's planned new structure, dubbed "LIV 2.0," which is targeted for launch next year.
The veteran golfer has four PGA Tour wins, including the 2010 US Open, and 11 victories on the DP World Tour.
He left the PGA Tour to join LIV Golf in 2022.
McDowell has recently held talks with the DP World Tour about a return and is expected to discuss specific contract terms next month. He also said in a recent interview that he had completed procedures required for his return, including payment of fines.
LIV Golf, which has seen a number of prominent players depart, is trying to rebuild.
The league announced Monday that it had appointed former TaylorMade and Adidas executive Mark King as a senior adviser.
"King will provide the expertise needed for organizational change," LIV Golf said, adding that it was focusing its efforts on advancing talks with players.
LIV Golf has been pursuing financial restructuring and new investment after losing funding from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
It has drawn up plans to launch LIV 2.0 with as much as $300 million in financing from private equity firm BC Partners.
But the league's future remains uncertain.
Jon Rahm, Sergio Garcia, Thomas Pieters, Abraham Ancer, David Puig, Adrian Meronk and Louis Oosthuizen are among the leading players who have recently announced their departures.
Players have begun leaving as the number of available tournaments has declined and uncertainty has grown over prize money and other income.
The departures accelerated after the DP World Tour announced that LIV Golf players would no longer be allowed to compete in its events beginning next season.
Retaining enough players is a key issue for LIV Golf’s survival because losing top names could make it harder to attract investment.
BC Partners could also withdraw its investment plan if LIV Golf fails to secure enough players and develop a viable revenue model.
Reuters reported that a decision on whether to launch LIV 2.0 or wind down the business is expected soon.
A LIV Golf bankruptcy court hearing is scheduled for Nov. 6.
(This article was produced with the assistance of AI. — Ed.)
