GRAEME McDowell admits the upstart Saudi golf league has given him "a shot in the arm" as he battles a "demoralising" slump.

After being dumped on Wednesday by sponsors RBC for taking the Saudi cash, the former US Open champion (42) opened with a one-under 70 in the Asian Tour's Saudi-backed International Series England at Slaley Hall.

He shares 20th place, five shots behind world number 1743 Chang Wei-lun from Chinese-Taipei as Waterford's Kevin Phelan shot 73.

Struggling with injuries and without a top-10 for 14 months, he sees the LIV Golf Series as a godsend.

"It has been very demoralising, especially when you've got kids," the struggling world 376 told National Club Golfer of his struggles over the past 18 months.

"You look around and think, is this worth the sacrifice? It is worth the sacrifice when you're being successful and financially it's very lucrative. But when you're not successful and you're leaving your kids 35 weeks a year, you do ask yourself the question."

He added: "[LIV Golf is] something that doesn't represent the grind. The prize money is guaranteed, there are no cuts. It's new and exciting and it's given me a shot in the arm from an energy point of view. It's come at a perfect point."

While he's only receiving a fraction of the €139 million LIV Golf is reportedly paying Dustin Johnson, sponsors RBC have dispensed with his services and those of Johnson, whose defection is seen by Paul McGinley as significant.

"We have to wait and see how this Saudi league is going to evolve and if the players are going to decide that this is a better option than the security of what they've had in the last 50-odd years between the DP World Tour and the PGA Tour," McGinley said, pointing out that players are paying for more money than ever on the main tours.

"There's no doubt that this will go down as a historic moment in the game. If this Saudi league does gather a head of steam and it does challenge the established two tours, considering the background and who's involved and the whole ideas of team events, it could turn golf upside down and on its head."

Lowry impresses with Memorial finish

At the Memorial Tournament, Shane Lowry covered the back nine in four-under 32 to open with a 69 that left him just two shots behind leaders Cameron Young, Luke List, Cameron Smith, KH Lee, Mackenzie Hughes and Davis Riley in the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village.

The world number 27 turned in one-over but followed birdies at the 11th, 12th and 14th by hitting a stunning 169-yard fairway bunker shot to 20 feet at the 18th and share 11th place on three-under as Rory McIlroy shot 70 and Séamus Power a 72.

“It was a nice finish and I have been playing well of late”, he said.  “I just love this place, love this golf course and while it was a bit of a slow start to be one-over through nine, I got it going on the back nine, and to hole a good putt there at the last was a good way to finish.”

Lowry hit just seven fairways but he was more concerned about missing six greens

“A couple of those misses were into fairway bunkers but it’s tricky out here, and it’s tight.  It’s not so much where you miss the fairways but more so if you miss the greens,” Lowry said.

“You are going to miss quite a few greens out here, and the course has softened up, so it is a little easier but you do have to be careful where you miss the greens. Saying that, it’s more a second-shot golf course but then it would be nice to hit more than seven fairways tomorrow.”

Intermittently brilliant, Rory McIlroy was one-over through seven holes but rallied to be three-under with five to play before settling for a two-under 70.

As for Power, he was ranked second for proximity to the hole but holed just one putt outside nine feet as he made three birdies and two bogeys to be one-under with three to play but then double-bogeyed the par-three 16th after a visit to water before making an eight-footer at the 17th to get back to level.

Carey shines in Czech Republic

In the Porsche European Open, Niall Kearney and Cormac Sharvin struggled to 78s and Jonathan Caldwell shot 80 in Hamburg as Sweden's Joakim Lagergren and China's Haotong Li shot five-under 67s to lead by a shot from Wil Besseling.

But it was better for the Irish in the D+D REAL Czech Challenge, where David Carey and Tom McKibbin took advantage of last-minute invitations.

Carey posted a three-under 67 to share sixth place, three shots behind Denmark's Martin Simonsen as McKibbin shot 68 to lie joint 12th.

“I received a late invite on Monday, flew out Tuesday via London as no direct flights left,” Carey said on a day when Paul Dunne, John Murphy and Gavin Moynihan shot 70s, Conor Purcell 73, Paul McBride 77 and Charlie Williams an 82.

“Got nine holes in yesterday, today was my first time seeing the front nine other than walking it. I wasn’t expecting to be playing this week.

“Overall to be honest I wasn’t 100% sure what to expect and played with no expectations. The course is a good challenge. The rough is very long and thick so if you hit it offline it’s probably a lost ball. (My playing partner lost four!)

“I was aggressive in terms of hitting driver on all but one hole, but I made only smooth swings to keep it in play. Compared to past years, they’ve also turned two of the par-fives into long par fours, so the course is fairly long.

“The key to it was I did a good job of staying out of the long rough and then from there my approach play was excellent and my putting was very solid,

“I didn’t make everything, but my speed was excellent and but for three horrible lip outs it could’ve been even better.”

On the LET, Olivia Mehaffey's three-over 75 left her eight shots off the pace in the Ladies Italian Open at Golf Club Margara.

Mehaffey was five-over after three holes but fought back bravely