STERLING, Va. — Now that the Public Investment Fund is stepping away from the LIV Golf League, one of its most affable players wonders if no longer being associated with Saudi Arabia will help the controversial circuit encounter more friendly terrain in its quest to gain viability. Graeme McDowell, 46, the 2010 U.S. Open champion who joined LIV in 2022 and endured considerable backlash, including in his native Northern Ireland, said Tuesday at Trump National D.C. that the PIF’s decision to halt funding of the league came as a surprise and leads to understandable questions about its future. But McDowell, who said he considered a TV career before joining LIV, said it also could create opportunity. “I was ready to jump ship and go get a real job,” McDowell said before practicing yesterday in advance of this week’s LIV Golf Virginia event. “And then these guys came along and said, ‘hey, we’re going to do this tour. Do you want to come play?’ I love playing. I love competing.…