Graeme McDowell doesn’t regret taking the money — he just wishes he’d admitted it. McDowell, the 2010 U.S. Open champ, is one of many LIV Golf transplants who claimed the decision to jump from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf was about “growing the game.” The refrain was mocked by many given the absurd guaranteed contracts that LIV — backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) — were giving out. Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland tees off during the second round of the Link Hong Kong Open at Hong Kogn Golf Club on October 31, 2025 in Hong Kong, China. Getty Images McDowell told Sports Illustrated he was contemplating retirement in 2022 before being approached by LIV — and then was in the first wave of players to bolt to the rebel league. “I was ready to jump ship and go get a real job,” the Northern Irishman told the magazine Tuesday. “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.…