Graeme McDowell, a golfer playing for LIV Golf, has been punished for breaking the league’s rules about drugs. He used a medicine to clear his nose that had a banned substance in it.
Because of this, McDowell will not be able to play in one LIV Golf tournament and will have to pay a fine. His scores from a previous tournament have also been removed, and his team’s results were changed as well.
However, Graeme McDowell explained on X that he used a medicine called Vicks to help him sleep. He knows that professional athletes should check their medicines and can ask for special permission to use certain drugs if needed. He said he made a mistake by not checking the Vicks and is sorry about it. He also said he understands and accepts the punishment from LIV Golf.
McDowell used this situation to criticize other golf leagues, saying they don’t check for drugs as carefully as LIV Golf. He said LIV has strict rules about drugs and that’s why it was hard for him when he got caught. He also said these rules are important for the sport to be fair.
Even though he got in trouble, McDowell is proud of his long career as a golfer. He wants to move on from this and start playing golf again. He is looking forward to the next LIV Golf tournament.