LIV Golf star Graeme McDowell accuses the media of misquoting him for clickbait. The original author defends the quote.
Graeme McDowell stirred controversy on Monday after reacting to a quote attributed to him in an article shared on the social media platform X.com. The account NUCLR Golf posted a quote from McDowell’s interview with Bunkered.com, where he allegedly said he was just trying to ‘eke out a living.’ The post quickly gained traction, prompting McDowell to respond, claiming the quote was misleading clickbait and that he was misquoted. However, the article’s author insists the quote was accurate.
McDowell’s Ryder Cup ambitions spark debate
The controversy stems from an interview in which McDowell was asked about the possibility of captaining Team Europe at the 2027 Ryder Cup, which will be held in his native Ireland. While expressing interest, McDowell acknowledged that his move to LIV Golf in 2022 might have hurt his chances. ‘I don’t know if I should even be thinking about it because politically it might not be possible,’ he said. ‘If that’s the case, I’ll be disappointed, but I’ll understand. People will say I’m getting what I deserve, but I’m not sure I agree with that.’
He argued that the divide in professional golf wasn’t caused by players like him. ‘The split comes from the best players in the world. It doesn’t come from guys over 40 like me who are just trying to eke out a living and stay competitive whenever possible.’ This quote was used by NUCLR Golf in a post that sparked backlash, especially given McDowell’s $19.1 million career earnings on the PGA Tour. McDowell responded on X, calling it ‘clickbait at its finest’ and claiming he was misquoted. He clarified that he meant to say he was trying to ‘eke out the last few years of my playing career.’
Media defends the quote
Ben Parsons, the author of the original Bunkered article, responded by stating that audio clips confirm McDowell said exactly what was quoted. Bunkered editor Michael McEwan backed this up. Other journalists chimed in, criticizing McDowell for blaming the media instead of owning his words.
Parsons encouraged readers to review the full article to understand the context and form their own opinions.
Clickbait at its finest here. The article is about what it would mean to me to be the Ryder Cup captain in Ireland in 2027. Misquoted regards “ekeing out a living”. Supposed to read “ekeing out the last few years of my playing career”. I’ve been incredibly fortunate and if it was… https://t.co/19ggS9hv