"These guys care a lot about the game" - Graeme McDowell stands up for LIV Golfers the Open Championship qualifying bid

Graeme McDowell recently defended all the LIV Golfers who were a part of the Open Championship qualifying bid. McDowell and Sergio Garcia did not make the qualification criteria to play at the Open, but the former still believes that the passion they have for golf will be kept alive by the LIV Golf season.

Sergio Garcia has always been a part of the majors, even winning the 2017 Augusta Masters. However, he failed to make the cut for the Open Championship this year, which means that he will miss out on the major for the first time in 25 years.

This comes as a disappointment to many, including fellow golfer Graeme McDowell. Talking about the situation at hand, McDowell said (via National Club Golfer):

“Of course, you want to be in the biggest events in the world, that’s why you’ve got a guy like Sergio Garcia who’s done it all in the game of golf and he’s here."

🚨⛳️🇪🇸 JUST IN: LIV Golf star Sergio Garcia will miss the 2023 Open Championship after finishing T6 in final qualifying.

This is the first @TheOpen played without Sergio since 1997. https://t.co/BPTRSFyKyg

Several people have mentioned that LIV Golfers are only playing for the money and the paychecks, not really caring about the game of golf itself. Defending LIV Golfers, McDowell stated that everyone cared about the game and about competing at coveted events. He said:

“A lot of people take shots at the players on LIV and say we don’t really care about the sport anymore and just taking paychecks. But these guys care a lot about the game."

"They’re competitors and they want to be at The Open Championship because it’s one of the premier golf tournaments on the planet and we want to win one.”

Graeme McDowell defends fellow golfer Sergio Garcia after he failed to make the Open Championship field

Garcia finished sixth at the qualifying event for the Open, missing out on the field by three shots. Graeme McDowell, on the other hand, was five shots adrift of making the qualification cut.

McDowell stated that Garcia's persistence to qualify showed how immensely he cared about the game. Garcia also missed out on the field for the PGA Championship earlier this year. McDowell said:

“He got through US Open Qualifying and he’s here trying to get the job done. I think that speaks volumes of the guy that he comes here and he’s disciplined enough to give it his best shot."