Bubba Watson heads into the weekend tied for the lead at the International Series Morocco as he chases a first title in almost exactly eight years.

Watson, who Golf Monthly followed around in the first round of the Asian Tour event at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Rabat, shot 66 on Friday to join Pavit Tangkamolprasert at the top of the leaderboard.

Both men sit on 11 under after 36 holes with Tangkamolprasert shooting 70 on Friday, with the pair leading by one shot over Younghan Song, with still plenty of players out on the course.

Watson's last tournament victory came on the PGA Tour at the Travelers Championship in June 2018.

Two-time Masters champion Watson hasn't managed to win yet on LIV Golf as he approaches the end of his fourth season.

The RangeGoats captain has one runner-up spot, at the 2025 LIV Golf UK event, and arrived in Morocco on the back of his best LIV result of the season - a ninth-placed finish in Andalucia.

Watson was in great form in Rabat too, as he carded eight birdies against just one bogey in his second round of 66.

That means the 47-year-old will be in the final pairing on Saturday and well in touch of ending his long wait for a tournament victory.

There are some decent players in hot pursuit though, with Australian Travis Smyth and defending champion in Morocco Scott Vincent just two shots off the leaders.

Sergio Garcia, who had his wife Angela on his bag as he made his very first trip to Morocco, shot a one-under 72 but sitting on level par at the end of his round he's looking likely to miss the cut.

Click here for the full International Series Morocco leaderboard.

Bubba Watson made a strong start to the International Series Morocco with a first-round 69 putting him just off the lead after 18 holes.

Watson is one of a whole host of LIV Golf stars taking part in the International Series Morocco, with over 20 teeing it up at the Asian Tour event at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Rabat.

And the RangeGoats captain carded the second-best round of the day by the LIV contingent, with only Younghan Song of Korean Golf Club going lower with his six-under round of 67.

Watson had five birdies and one bogey in his four-under 69, which put him in T8 after the first round, four shots behind early leader Pavit Tangkamolprasert after he shot a flawless 65.

Travis Smyth is tied for second place alongside Song after also shooting 67 on the unusual par-73 layout in Morocco, which contains four par-5s but just three par-3s.

Andy Ogletree and Lucas Bjerregaard are among those sitting on five under and in a tie for fourth, while Scott Vincent is the next best LIV player after Watson on three under.

Abraham Ancer is on two under, a shot ahead of Branden Grace, while Sergio Garcia did not have the best of times in his very first visit to Morocco.

Garcia had never previously visited the country just a few miles away from his native Spain, and he had his wife Angela on his bag for the occasion.

Garcia turned in a one-over 37, and could not make a move down his back nine, as he followed both of his birdies with bogeys to sign for a 74.

International Series Morocco - First round highlights

There has been plenty of change in the LIV Golf League over the past few weeks and months, with more tweaks expected to arrive before the 2026 campaign kick off in Riyadh early next month.

But with the potential exception of Brooks Koepka returning to the PGA Tour, nothing was more seismic than LIV's decision to expand its format from 54 to 72 holes back in November.

The move, which was given the green light in order to appease the PIF-backed circuit's OWGR application, was initially met with surprise from fans and public support by at least some of LIV Golf's captains - but not all.

Although the likes of Jon Rahm, Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau went on record as backing the call late last year, RangeGoats skipper Bubba Watson was left out of the official press release.

And speaking to The Mirror US' Sam Frost during the 2026 LIV Golf media week recently, it became clear why.

Watson was asked for his reaction to LIV's format change and whether he supported the move, to which the 2012 and 2014 Masters winner replied: "Um, no.

"I think we should go three days. And there’s a reason why. I think with the sprint, everyone stays together. When you go four days you’re going to have some more spread out leaders, and it just kind of takes away your last round, right?

“When everybody’s close battling, it puts more people in the mix on a Sunday or the last round on a Saturday, whichever tournament you’re at, and so that just makes it better for the fans when there’s chaos happening.”

Shortly after the news about LIV's format change was confirmed in early November, Tyrrell Hatton revealed he and his fellow players were asked in a questionnaire at the end of 2024 whether they would want to see four days and 72 holes introduced.

The Englishman shared ahead of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship that, at the time, only three players supported the idea and suggested via his response that he was one of them.

Hatton said: "I think it's a good thing that LIV has moved to four rounds. I know at the end of my first season, there was a questionnaire that was filled out.

"One of the questions was about moving to 72 holes, and of everyone who filled it out, I think there was only three guys, initially, who had said [yes] about moving there [to 72 holes].

"I guess that's changed quite a bit in the last year. Certainly from my standpoint, I'm quite happy that we've moved to 72 holes.”

Although Watson would have preferred LIV to stick with its original number of holes, the left-hander will not waiver in his pursuit of a first individual title once the campaign begins in Riyadh on February 4.

The 47-year-old came closest at LIV Golf UK last season, ending solo second and three strokes behind champion, Joaquin Niemann, while he has also lifted a team title with his RangeGoats at LIV Golf Singapore in 2023.

However, nothing would compare to either a team championship with the RangeGoats or a maiden solo prize.

Watson said: "I want to win on LIV. I haven’t lifted an individual trophy on LIV… I would love to lift a championship trophy for a team on LIV. That’d be another notch on the belt.”

A "disappointed" Bubba Watson has revealed he will miss the upcoming International Series events in the Far East after having surgery on his finger.

The two-time Masters champion says he developed a lesion on the ring finger of his left hand which had made gripping a golf club difficult.

Doctors then advised Watson to have the lesion removed, and he's already had surgery to do just that - which will help him with his game but means a spell on the sidelines of around two months.

Watson had hoped to tee it up at International Series events on the Asian Tour in Hong Kong and the Philippines but will now have to skip those two tournaments.

Watson calls the surgery "a short term setback" and is confident he will be back playing in plenty of time for the new LIV Golf season as he continues as captain of the RangeGoats.

"I had been looking forward to playing the International Series Philippines and LINK Hong Kong Open this month and I'm disappointed to miss those two events," Watson posted on social media.

"But I'm glad to know this is only a short term setback."

Watson last played at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland, on the back of a vastly improved LIV Golf League performance.

Watson finished in 11th placed in the overall individual standings this year, with four top 10s in the last eight events including a runner-up spot.

That's in contrast to coming way down in 53rd in 2024, finishing in the drop zone and having to plead his case to remain in the league due to being a captain - but this year he's been miles better.

So it's a shame Watson hasn't been able to try and continue that form by playing in the Far East, but the issue on his finger meant it was tough to even grip the golf club.

Watson said that the "small growth on my left ring finger" had been "affecting my ability to grip a golf club the way I want" so opted to have surgery to remove it.

"Because of the location and depth of cuts, which are around the joint, the procedure is expected to prevent me from playing golf for up to eight weeks while I recover and rehab my finger," Watson added.

The eight-week timeframe for recovery also rules Watson out of making a comeback for the final International Series events - the Singapore Open and PIF Saudi International.

He'll likely have to now shut it down for the year and wait until the 2026 LIV Golf season begins in Riyadh at the start of February.

Brooks Koepka is among several Major-winning LIV Golf stars who have already committed to DP World Tour events later this year.

Koepka is currently attempting to finish off his season with Smash GC in style at LIV Golf Indianapolis, but only a matter of days after the Team Championship in Michigan the following week, the five-time Major winner will head to the British Isles to compete at the Amgen Irish Open.

One of the European circuit's first Back 9 tournaments is being staged at The K Club between September 4-7 and will feature defending champion, Rasmus Hojgaard - who defeated Rory McIlroy at Royal County Down 12 months ago - plus former LIV player, Eugenio Chacarra among others.

The $6 million event will also include Sergio Garcia and Tyrrell Hatton after the Spaniard paid off his outstanding fines and reapplied for DP World Tour membership late last year.

Garcia is a former Irish Open champion, winning the title back in 1999 after defeating Angel Cabrera by three strokes at Druids Glen. He last played the event in 2015 but missed the cut.

Meanwhile, Hatton has appeared at the Irish Open seven times across his career and has failed to play the weekend on five occasions. Remarkably, in the two where he made the cut, the Englishman finished T4th (2015) and T5th (2016).

Hatton is also set for a return to the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in October where he will defend his title alongside Koepka once again and, for 2025, Bubba Watson.

Koepka and Watson will be among the latest crop of US golfers to try and break the American curse at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, with no golfer from the States having ever tasted success since the event began in 2001.

After being confirmed, Watson said: "I’ve heard so much about the event and I’m really looking forward to playing.

"St Andrews is one of the most special and historic golfing locations in the world and Carnoustie is among the greatest Open Championship courses. Kingsbarns is a beautiful layout and a challenge in the wind.

"I'm also excited to have my wife, Angie, there with me and get to play with her, too. All in all, I think we are in for a great week.”

Meanwhile, Koepka - who finished runner-up alongside Paul Harris in the 2014 team competition - said: "I’ve been fortunate to play in several Dunhill Links, as well as two Open Championships at St Andrews over the years, and these trips are always highlights.

"The atmosphere on and off the course at the Dunhill is fantastic. I was able to play with my father one year and my good friend and caddie, Ricky Elliott, the other.

"Those two weeks will always be very special to me. I love links golf and St Andrews is my favourite course in the world."

The $5 million Alfred Dunhill Links Championship is set for October 2-5 across St Andrews' Old Course, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns before the final round returns to the Home of Golf.

Two-time Masters champion, Bubba Watson has revealed how he lost 40lbs in weight due to anxiety and stress around the peak of his career.

Watson enjoyed an excellent career on the PGA Tour between 2010 and 2018, winning 10 regular titles and twice slipping on the Masters Green Jacket before later moving across to the LIV Golf League and establishing the RangeGoats GC.

However, it was near the start of his appearance at the highest level that the Bagdad, Florida-born pro began to suffer with mental health issues that badly affected his way of life.

Speaking to Pat McAfee in a wide-ranging interview, Watson shared how he became too focused on what other people thought of him and mistakenly obsessed on how his golfing ability would reflect who he was as a person.

The 46-year-old said: "My struggle was, when I played golf and 24 hours of [watching] Golf Channel, when I'd shoot bad, it made me think they were judging me as a person - you know, because I shot 75 or I double-bogeyed the last to lose, or triple-bogeyed one of the holes.

"I was letting that define who Bubba Watson was, and so I was going the wrong way. It took many years, it wasn't overnight. It started from like, we'll say 2009, all the way up to 2014.

"I went from 200lbs to 160lbs. So I went to the doctor, did all these tests and the doctor said 'there's nothing wrong with you' and I said 'well, there is - look at me.' It was just that anxieties and stress were eating me alive.

"I was eating food, I wasn't changing my diet, but I was losing weight. That's when we realized I was just battling anxiety and stress because I was letting golf dictate who I was as a person."

Having made steps to change his way of thinking and returned to a more natural body mass, Watson went on to win five more PGA Tour titles prior to his LIV Golf switch.

Watson explained how wanting to extend his entrepreneurial portfolio - which already contained an ice cream shop and part ownership in the Pensacola Blue Wahoos Minor League Baseball team - plus wishing to spend more time with his two adopted children was behind a large part of his decision to trade tours.

Three full seasons have passed since he initially signed, with Watson highlighting how efficiently his roles - both as a golfer and a dad - work together these days.

He said: "Now that my kids are older, my kids come out and go to the tournaments with me. They're allowed on the range with me, they're allowed to do whatever - I'm the owner of the team!

"I love it. We have time off, the PGA Tour quit having time off, we started going year round. So being able to spend time with my kids and watch them play sports is a dream come true, and they love watching me play golf. My son is getting old enough now that he can walk all 18 holes and follow me, and so it's a blast out there.

"And like going to Spain and London, we're going to stop over in Rome and let him see Rome for a couple of days. I love it."

While the former World No.2 stated how much he has enjoyed life since joining LIV, Watson explained how, competitively, it can be tougher for certain players - simply because of the smaller enforced schedule.

Comparing the nuances of the PGA Tour and LIV Golf League schedules, Watson said: "The PGA Tour schedule, there's 40 events. For me, you pick your top-20. Courses that you believe fit your game, and you can do that.

"But now on LIV, it's tougher because you've got 14 weeks and you have to play in all 14, no matter whether all courses suck for you or all the courses are good for you. You have to change your game and try to figure out your game with how you can play and attack each course, even though it might not be the courses you want to play at.

"And on the PGA Tour, out of 40, you can find some that you can play well and perform at so you can keep your card."

Golf can be a game of opinions at times and everybody loves a big debate, especially where Tiger Woods is concerned, so Bubba Watson's recent take on Scottie Scheffler has certainly got tongues wagging.

Watson is never short of an opinion, and the two-time Masters champion has been in the news for his thoughts on LIV Golf - mainly that the top 15 players in the team golf tour should qualify automatically for all four Majors.

The left-hander's latest take is a big one, as he says Scheffler's incredible season last year eclipsed Woods' epic 2000 campaign - which is widely regarded as the best ever compiled in men's pro golf.

“I know Tiger did some stuff in 2000," was Watson's understated way of describing Woods' dominant season when talking to Golf.com's Sean Zak.

"But Scottie’s year was the best we’ve ever seen," added Watson. "With all the talent around the world now playing, that was it.”

Watson's assessment that today's depth of talent is greater than in Tiger's 2000 season is definitely an argument many would support.

And on just the numbers of the season it's pretty close - Woods won nine times in 20 starts on the PGA Tour in 2000 and Scheffler also won nine times in 21 starts, if you include his victories at the Olympics and Hero World Challenge.

Scheffler won The Masters for the second time, but Woods, of course, won three Majors in 2000 including dominant wins at the US Open and Open Championship by 15 and eight shots respectively.

Tiger also finished runner-up four times and his scoring average of 68.17 is a PGA Tour record, and coupled with that third Major of the year at the PGA Championship it's hard to argue against his 2000 being the best season in history.

Watson is sticking to his guns though, and obviously feels, like others do, that Scheffler's statistical dominance and win rate last year was the more impressive as it was not thought possible in the modern era.

Another line from the interview worth mentioning was Watson's belief that he can still challenge at Augusta, and even win The Masters for a third time.

At 46, he's the same age as Jack Nicklaus was when he won his sixth Green Jacket in 1986, and a third success would be so big it may even make Watson call it a day there and then.

“Truthfully, I’ve had the thought: If you do it, like if you actually pull it off," Watson said of winning a third Masters.

"I mean, I’m 46. You’re talking about [same age] Jack Nicklaus was when he won. If you did that, you know, maybe you drop the shoes on the green and walk off forever. That’d be a cool moment, right?”

Just how LIV Golf players get into the Majors is a big talking point about the sport's future, but Bubba Watson has reiterated the stance he's had since the start.

Paul McGinley set out his plan for the future of golf which included LIV golfers playing with their counterparts from the PGA Tour more often in Majors and also in PGA Tour Signature Events.

That particular suggestion did not go down well with Brandel Chamblee, who said "it would "cause uproar on the PGA Tour" to have LIV golfers going straight back into Signature Events.

The Majors have already started allowing LIV Golf players into their events though, with The Open joining the US Open in creating a pathway for qualifying while The Masters and PGA Championship offer a few special exemptions.

Two-time Masters champion Watson, though, believes there should be a broader and more uniformed pathway from LIV to the Majors, which would see a big chunk of the field being able to qualify.

"Yeah, I think that any chance we have to get into the Majors, get all of us playing together again, it’s always a good thing," Watson said at LIV Golf Singapore.

"My thoughts have always been we should just go off of our points list or our money list and have 15 guys from LIV be in all the Majors, the top 15 from the year before.

"That’s what I’ve always said. I’ve said it since day one."

Watson believes the pathways created by the R&A and USGA are a good start, but feels the Majors need more LIV golfers involved to attract more attention to their events.

"This is a start in the right direction," Watson added. "That people recognize that LIV is here to stay and that LIV is not going anywhere, and it’s only getting better.

"The Majors are seeing that, and the Majors realize for that one week that they have an event, they need us to join in there and play so we can get some media attention but also show how good LIV is and what team sport is all about."

Na and Niemann back Major qualifying plan

Watson's view is backed up by IronHeads captain Kevin Na, who told us in January that he was "pretty confident" LIV golfers will get a route into all four Majors - as he also called for a direct qualifying pathway.

Speaking to Golf Monthly, Na said: "I haven’t heard exactly what’s going to happen, but I’m pretty confident that - in the near future - we will get exemptions to Majors.

"It just has to happen because there are too many good players playing out here. I think, eventually, we will have a criteria from our League with a pathway straight to the Major championships, I’m not too concerned about that."

Joaquin Niemann has been a main benificiary of some special exemptions into the Majors - including a 2025 Masters invite alongside Denmark's Nicolai Hojgaard.

And the Chilean also supported the idea of using LIV standings as a qualifying criteria for the Majors when we also spoke to him in January.

"I would look at the rankings - whoever is the most consistent during the year has the chance to play at all the Majors next season," Niemann told Golf Monthly. "I would say the top-10 in the LIV rankings.

"LIV winners could be a way to do it, too, because if you are winning tournaments then you have a chance to win Majors. But, at the end of the day, I think it’s going to be pretty much the same with the top-10. They will all most likely win anyway."

Bubba Watson made a big move on Saturday at the BNI Indonesian Masters, with the American carding a seven-under par third round to jump into solo third spot and seven back of Canadian, Richard Lee.

The two-time Major winner made a hot start at Royale Jakarta Golf Club, but it was a shot at the par 3 11th which was the talk of the round, with Watson finding the bottom of the cup for a hole-in-one.

Having been relegated from the LIV Golf League at the end of the 2024 season, the Range Goats GC Captain is making his International Series debut as he hopes to find some form.

Carding a two-under 70 on Thursday, Watson comfortably made the cut thanks to a five-under 67 on Friday. However, it was Saturday where we saw the experienced pro make a move, as his seven-under 65 was the joint best round of the day, alongside Pakistan's Ahmad Baig.

Opening with three birdies on the front nine, Watson parred the 10th, with the magic moment coming at the par 3 11th. What's more, along with Watson, Phachara Khongwatmai also made a hole-in-one at the same hole, some 20 minutes after the American!

Following the ace, Watson birdied the 12th and 15th to finish in just 32 shots on the back nine, with the seven-under 65 putting him seven back of Lee, who has been in fine form after rounds of 62, 67 and 66.

Making his ninth appearance on the Asian Tour, Watson has secured a couple of runner-up finishes on the circuit - the 2012 Thailand Golf Championship and the 2022 Saudi International - as the 45-year-old hopes to challenge once again on Sunday.

As mentioned, Watson is playing in the tournament after finishing inside LIV Golf's relegation places at the culmination of the Individual Championship. Currently, it's unclear as to where his LIV Golf future lies, but he could well return to the PIF-backed circuit next year if both he and his Range Goats GC team decide.

LIV Golf's Bubba Watson has been unveiled as part of the broadcast team for the latest edition of 'The Match', which is due to take place at Breakers West Country Club in West Palm Beach later this month.

Titled 'The Match: Superstars', a number of iconic faces from across sport and entertainment will compete in a two-day competition on Thursday, November 21 and Friday, November 22 - broadcast in primetime on TNT Sports and available to stream on HBO Max.

Watson - who last appeared on commentary duty during his injury-hit first season with the LIV Golf League in 2022 - will work alongside host Ernie Johnson and on-course reporter Kathryn Tappen as well as analysts Trevor Immelman and Charles Barkley.

Watson and Tappen will be featuring in regular walk-and-talks with the competitors while adding their unique insights into the unfolding action.

Meanwhile, Barkley - the former 76ers, Suns, and Rockets forward - is also playing in the event and will be involved in some capacity for the ninth time since the production launched.

Making up the remainder of the eight-man field - which is ultimately competing for a $1 million prize - are Bill Murray, Mark Wahlberg, Wayne Gretzky, Michael Phelps, Nate Bargatze, Ken Griffey, Jr. and Blake Griffin.

The competition will begin at the quarter-final stage with two-versus-two scramble match play, and the winning teams will set up the semi-final and final stages. Once play reaches the final four, the format will be individual match play.

Scramble teams for 'The Match' are as follows:

• Bill Murray and Wayne Gretzky versus Charles Barkley and Ken Griffey Jr.
• Mark Wahlberg and Micheal Phelps versus Nate Bargatze and Blake Griffin.

As well as having the participants mic'd up at all times, TNT Sports says the Cart Cam will be in operation alongside drone cameras as it hopes to "elevate the fan experienced by deploying a number of technological innovations throughout the taped production."

The Match - which will be attempting to raise money that will go to hurricane relief efforts across the US - is a separate entity to The Showdown, a made-for-TV contest between two of the LIV Golf League's best and a couple of rivals from the PGA Tour which is slated for later this year.

Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka will take on Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas on Tuesday, December 17 in a mixed-format competition, also scheduled to be shown on TNT Sports.

Two-time Masters champion, Bubba Watson has confirmed he will make his International Series debut at the BNI Indonesian Masters later this month.

Watson has previously made eight Asian Tour appearances throughout his career - securing a couple of runner-up finishes along the way - but will take part in the circuit's elevated series for the first time at Royale Jakarta Golf Club between October 31 and November 3.

The Indonesian Masters is the seventh of 10 stops on the International Series calendar in 2024, with the season-long champion going on to earn a full-time LIV Golf League card for the following campaign.

As well as Watson, the $2 million tournament will also feature a couple of other LIV golfers such as Danny Lee and Richard Bland, plus runaway International Series and Asian Tour Order of Merit leader, John Catlin. The in-form American has made a handful of LIV Golf appearances in 2024 and looks set to earn a full card in 2025, if he can maintain his sparkling form.

Adding to an interesting field will be India's defending champion Gaganjeet Bhullar, Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat, and China’s rising star Wenyi Ding, who recently turned professional after winning the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship

But, commenting on his own impending appearance, Watson said: "As everyone knows, I have really enjoyed playing in tournaments overseas and so I am really excited about playing in Indonesia for the first time.

"I enjoy coming to Asia and soaking in the sights and sounds and also seeing the diverse mixture of players out here.

"The BNI Indonesian Masters plays a big part in The International Series, which provides a pathway onto the LIV Golf League. I'm a big believer in LIV Golf and I'm proud of the impact it has had on the game of golf worldwide.”

Watson will be hoping that, following a break from competitive action, he can rediscover some form on the Asian Tour.

His two runner-up finishes on this circuit arrived at the 2012 Thailand Golf Championship and at the 2022 Saudi International, however, the 45-year-old has only managed a best result of T15th in the LIV Golf League this term.

That lone top-20 occurred in Las Vegas and helped his RangeGoats end third in the team event, one of two podiums in 2024 alongside Miami where Watson ended T32nd.

Ultimately, the RangeGoats GC captain finished in LIV Golf's relegation places at the culmination of the Individual Championship round, but he could well return to the PIF-backed circuit next year anyway if both he and his team decide.

Bubba Watson has credited LIV Golf with helping PGA Tour star Scottie Scheffler earn the huge sums of money he has so far this year.

This week, the big-money circuit celebrates a big milestone at LIV Golf Greenbrier - its 100th round having begun in June 2022 with its inaugural event at London Centurion Club. Before the event, Watson reflected on the impact it has made during that time.

He said: "Yeah, this is exciting times. When I think about going through the motions of deciding I wanted to come to LIV, I thought about the 10-year plan, on paper, what the goals were, and it's met my expectations. It's been better than that. We've changed the face of golf. So to be on that side of history is pretty special." 

He then claimed its emergence set in motion a potentially seismic shift at the top of the men’s game, comparing it to the 1968 breakaway of the PGA Tour from the PGA of America.

He explained: “I know years ago when the PGA Tour made that same decision, and when I'm saying years ago, we're talking '50s, '40s, whatever year Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus and them made the other tour, so we're a part of that. It's an honor and a privilege to say I'm a part of that.”

Since its inception, LIV Golf has been known for the incredible prize money it offers at each of its tournaments, with players competing for $25m in each of the regular events and $50m in the season-closing Team Championship.

That financial clout has meant it has been able to take some of the biggest names from the PGA Tour, and the more established organization has responded with lucrative tournaments of its own, signature events, to try and stem the flow.

Because of the PGA Tour's response, Watson said Scheffler's massive earnings on it so far this year, which currently stand at over $28m, have been helped by LIV Golf. 

He added: “Scottie Scheffler has made a lot of money this year because of the changes that we've started putting in place. I believe that golf is actually growing in the right spot, and I think team golf is here to stay. So I'm excited for the next few events, the next few years, and hopefully the Range Goats can beat the Crushers..”

Scheffler has won seven times in 2024, most recently with a gold medal at the Olympics. However, in all of the remaining six, prize money was at stake, and four of his victories came in signature events - the RBC Heritage and the Travelers Championship, where he earned $3.6m for each victory and the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Memorial Tournament, where he banked $4m in each.

In addition to those, Scheffler also won another $3.6m from a record $20m purse at The Masters, while his win at The Players Championship handed him $4.5m thanks to a $25m purse - a figure $5m higher than the edition immediately before LIV Golf began.

Watson doesn’t think it’s just the money flowing into the game that makes LIV Golf so disruptive. He also thinks its unique team aspect, which sees the field play as 13 teams of four, has added a new dimension.

 “On Sunday, you can't hide,” the Range Goats GC captain said. “On the first day you can struggle and the other three can take over, but then on Sunday, all four balls count so you're fighting for your team.

"You make a bad swing, you're disappointed, not because of you, but you're disappointed because you let the other guys down. So you're going to try to give it your all and hang in there on a Sunday because all balls count. You can't hide from it.”

It's no secret that professional golf attracts a number of high-end brands, with various Tours and players often associated with a plethora of blue-chip sponsors.

One of those is jewellery  and, at the 2024 Masters, several players were seen wearing incredibly expensive watches, with the likes of Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Bubba Watson, donning models from Rolex, Omega and Richard Mille.

In a video posted to Instagram from social media watch expert, @itschadalexander, we see a number of players wearing watches, with the first being Watson's 'Richard Mille RM 38-02 Tourbillon Bubba Watson', a model that will cost you $2.5 million!

Dressed up in pink and white, which is the same colorway as Watson's driver, the two-time Green Jacket winner stated to Richard Mille: "I have been pushing Richard for a pink watch for ten years and here it is!" Watson has been with the brand for over a decade and, in regards to the watch, there are just 50 of these models available, with the company calling it: "The watchmaking equivalent of a hole-in-one."

Along with Watson, Masters winner, Scheffler, was seen wearing a green (of course) Rolex Submariner called 'The Hulk'. This particular model will set you back a much-more friendly $20,000...

Amongst the other watches seen, McIlroy was donning a De Ville Tourbillon from his sponsor, Omega, with the watch retailing for $137,000. The most popular manufacturer, though, was Rolex, as the likes of Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Jack Nicklaus, Brooks Koepka and Rickie Fowler could be spotted wearing them the week of Augusta National.

One model that we have tested was also seen on the wrist of Tommy Fleetwood, as the TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 Golf Edition Watch was spotted on the Englishman. Known as one of the best golf watches on the market, we really liked the crystal clear display and exceptional app experience when we tested the model out last year.

A two-time winner at Augusta, Gerry Lester “Bubba” Watson now plies his trade on LIV Golf where he captains the RangeGoat GC team. The American is a left handed, self taught golfer who learned to play the game by hitting Wiffle balls around his house as a youngster. He has been playing Ping clubs since he received a junior set at the age of eight. Here's a breakdown of the clubs Watson has in the bag.

WATCH: Bubba Watson talks us through the clubs in his golf bag

Driver

What Driver Does Bubba Watson Use?

One of the American’s biggest weapons throughout his career has been his ability to improvise and shape the ball with driver, while still hitting it miles. Watson is known for never choosing to hit it straight off the tee and while he can move it both ways, he loves a power fade and therefore needs a driver that will accommodate that.

He currently plays with a 9° Ping G430 LST driver (@7.9°) which is perfect for hitting those big swinging right to lefters. This is a low spin driver with a truly broad appeal that has the high tech looks and powerful feel to match the all round performance. It blew us away in testing and earned the full five stars from our reviewer.

In case you're wondering, there's a story to the pink design, which he once explained on the Off Course with Claude Harmon podcast.

“The pink shaft started when I was on the, back then it was the Nationwide Tour, Korn Ferry Tour,” he said. “I said I want a hot pink shaft. And they said, 'No. Who are you?'

“So, Shinnecock, the US Open was there in ’04. I qualified in ’04. The first hole was downwind, and you know how that hole is - kind of a dogleg to the right. And True Temper - Matt Rollins was at Ping at the time, and he said hey, just come watch him hit before you say no to the driver shaft. And I drove it over the green on 1. And they were like, 'What color of pink do you want?' So we told them and they made it.”

Fairway

What Fairway Wood Does Bubba Watson Use?

Watson is also in the G430 when it comes to his fairway wood. His 3-wood of choice is the Ping G430 Max which has 15° of loft and is fitted with the Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black RDX 80 shaft. The American has been known to carry a seven and nine wood on occasions, but he doesn't appear to have these in the bag at present.

We are big fans of the G430 Max and it is definitely one of the best fairway woods on the market. While it is a 2024 model and has been replaced this year with the G440 range, the G430 can hold its own against anything out there. It’s a long yet easy-to-use model that has proven to be popular with club golfers and pros alike thanks to its versatility and high launch characteristics.

Irons

What Irons Does Bubba Watson Use?

When it comes to irons, Watson plays with a set of Ping Blueprint S irons (3-PW), all fitted with the True Temper Dynamic Gold X100 shaft. We have tested these irons and the performance was excellent. The compact head and minimal offset will appeal to the purist and the solidity of strike is unquestionable. These are a great option for low handicap player who values workability in their irons.

Wedges

What Wedges Does Bubba Watson Use?

Onto the wedges now and the two-time Masters champion carries three Ping Glide 2.0 wedges: 52°, 56° and 60°, which all have the True Temper Dynamic Gold X100 shaft. The Glide 2.0 is an older model that was launched in 2018, and it’s unusual for pros to use such an older model of wedge.

The Glide 2.0 was and indeed still is a great wedge, but it will be interesting to see if Bubba upgrades to a newer model at some point this year. We've not seen a close-up recently, but we believe they are stamped with 'Bubba's Sweet Spot' (Watson owns a sweet shop).

Putter

What Putter Does Bubba Watson Use?

Watson has been putting with a Ping PLD Anser D prototype putter for some time now but has recently been trialling a Ping Tyne H mid-mallet. The Anser blade shape is a classic, and Watson has been using Ping designs since he first started playing the game. Ping manufactures some of the best blade putters on the market but it will be interesting to see if Watson keeps faith in his blade or if he puts the fang shaped Tyne H in the bag full time.

Ball

What Golf Ball Does Bubba Watson Use?

In terms of ball, Watson uses a Titleist Pro V1x, one of the very best premium golf balls on the market. He was one of the very few Tour professionals to put a yellow version into play, and he also drew a lot of attention when he briefly signed with Volvik; but at the moment he puts a regular Pro V1x golf ball into play.

Apparel/Shoes

What Shoes Does Bubba Watson Wear?

Watson's love of the color pink isn't just evident when he pulls his driver out - his shoes are often equally as bright. In recent times, he's been pictured in both Jordan golf shoes and FootJoy (above). Watson appears to change footwear fairly regularly, from tournament to tournament.

In terms of clothing, Watson is a brand ambassador for lifestyle brand, Linksoul.

Bubba Watson WITB: Full Specs

Driver: Ping G430 LST, 9° @7.9°, Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black RDX 60 shaft.

Three wood: Ping G430 Max, 15°, Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black RDX 80 shaft.

Irons: Ping Blueprint S irons (3-PW), True Temper Dynamic Gold X100 shaft.

Wedges: Ping Glide 2.0, 52°, 56°, 60°, True Temper Dynamic Gold X100 shaft.

Putter: Ping PLD Anser D prototype, Ping PP58 Midsize grip.

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x.

Apparel & glove: Linksoul, FootJoy.

Footwear: Nike, FootJoy.

Ever since the LIV Golf League started trying to lure players over to its tour, some astronomical figures have been banded about when it comes to the sign-on fee the golfers would supposedly earn. 

Jon Rahm's recent move to LIV was reportedly for over half a billion dollars, while Phil Mickelson allegedly received around $200 million and Dustin Johnson apparently cashed in to the tune of $125 million back in 2022.

And while, to some, it's appeared like the quoted numbers for the PGA Tour's best and brightest have been pulled out of thin air - or at least inflated over their actual value - according to two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson, this is far from the case.

The Range Goats' captain - who himself moved to LIV for something in the neighborhood of $50 million, according to reports - claimed a "formula" is used by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) to put together an efficient offer.

Speaking to the Fore Play Podcast, in a clip shared by X user @ProGolfCritic, Watson said: "When I went [to LIV], I've signed a lifetime deal with Ping, right? I have other sponsors - I have a watch sponsor, I have a clothing sponsor - so I had money. The money is null and void. They're not just throwing out money randomly. There is actually a formula of why so-and-so gets this.

"There is actually a formula. These are smart businessmen. This fund [PIF] has made it because they're smart at what they do. They own almost a piece of every company that's ever been built in the United States, right? They have a formula of how they invest their money. It's not just some made-up number, it's an actual real number for a reason.

"They might have added on 5%, they might have added on 2% - depending on who you are. They might have added 0.5% for me. There's a formula out there that we have behind the scenes, it's not like: "here's a check." It's a real number for a reason."

Midway through explaining how bespoke offers are decided for various players, the 2012 and 2014 Masters champion stated that a handful of unnamed golfers have approached LIV to enquire about joining and quoted figures that Watson labelled "random."

He said: "There are some guys on the [PGA] Tour that just came up with random numbers, and the League is just like: "who are you?" 

"I would never call those people out, but there are some random numbers and you're just like: "you haven't even made that much in your career!" Like, hold on a second, I know a sponsor isn't sponsoring you for that much."

One player who would have moved to LIV for the riches is John Daly, who felt he "would be perfect" for the 54-hole, no-cut circuit. Highlighting what he felt was hypocrisy over money talk involving LIV and the PGA Tour, Daly said there is "no difference" between him being paid to play in Europe during the 1990s and the modern golfer earning millions by switching to LIV.

The two-time Major champion has been a long-time admirer of the PIF-backed League and once admitted he "begged" CEO Greg Norman to invite him on.

Referencing LIV, Daly said: "I think it's great. I would have played it! I was hoping that Finchem [Tim, former PGA Tour commissioner] would say: "Ok, look, guys. [If] you play your 15 tournaments - go play it. We have to play 15 [events] on the regular tour and I think 11 or 12 on the Champions Tour. Once you do that, let us go play wherever we want.

"I think golf is a growing game. I'm not going to sit here and deny... I got paid a lot of money to go and play European events - what's the difference [with LIV]? There's no difference."

Talor Gooch's prolific winning form in the LIV Golf League should be enough to "definitely" make the USA Ryder Cup team, according to Bubba Watson.

Two-time Masters champion Watson is Gooch's team captain with the Range Goats in LIV Golf, and he believes his fellow American is playing well enough to get one of Zach Johnson's six picks for Rome.

Gooch is the only three-time LIV Golf tournament winner after claiming the trophy at Valderrama last week, and is again among the favourites for this week's event at Centurion.

The 31-year-old is being talked about as a possible Ryder Cup rookie for America, and Watson says that alongside the resurgent Rickie Fowler, Gooch should be a captain's pick.

"Well, he has to be - gosh, I don't know where Rickie Fowler is on the Ryder Cup standings, but he's got to be up there, too," Watson said of Gooch.

"But I would have to say those two have been the impressive ones the last few weeks, just their high finishes and how they've been playing pretty much all year. 

"If they're not already - if Rickie is not already in in points, he's definitely getting a pick, and Talor should definitely get a pick. He's playing that well, and he plays really good outside the US."

Watson added that Gooch is very much a quiet man on his team, and just enjoys having his family with him while out playing golf.

"You know what, he's so quiet, he's so to himself. But having his family travel with him, being able to spend a lot of time with his family, being able to spend time with his young one, his in-laws, he's just down to earth, and he's just focused on the next shot," Watson added. "He's just been grinding out.

"Solid player, we've all known that, and for him to quietly jump ship out of nowhere to come over here because he loves team golf, it was cool to see."

Due to LIV Golf not receiving ranking points and Gooch not playing in PGA Tour events, he won't qualify through the USA Ryder Cup standings.

Like Brooks Koepka, who seems certain to qualify, and Dustin Johnson, who will be a big candidate for a pick, LIV players remain eligible for Ryder Cup selection.

For Gooch himself, he just wants to keep playing well to press his claims to be on the plane to Marco Simone Golf Club in September.

“The better I play, the more that is just going to be a discussion hopefully,” Gooch said after winning in Spain. 

"I’ve got to go win, and I’ve got to go prove that I’m worthy of having a discussion about.”

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The Travelers Championship is one of the most exciting, energized events on the PGA Tour and will host the 2023 edition at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut, this week. The Travelers is an elevated event with a $20 million purse and massive FedExCup points at stake, which is becoming more important with each event as we near the FedExCup playoffs in August. Fans enjoy creating a raucous atmosphere on a course that rewards accuracy and finesse over power.

Xander Schauffele won by two strokes at the 2022 Travelers Championship, logging -7-under-par outings in each of his first two rounds to build an insurmountable lead en route to his victory. Harris English, Dustin Johnson, Chez Reavie, Bubba Watson, and Jordan Spieth are previous outright winners at TPC River Highlands. This week, Spieth has opted to skip this designated event, while English is 75/1, and Reavie is a massive 400/1 longshot via DraftKings Sportsbook’s current outright winner odds. 

Wyndham Clark just secured his first major win at the 2023 U.S. Open, playing great from start to finish with a strong driver, accurate irons, and consistent putting. He’s currently landing 35/1 odds, which is a massive value hit compared to the 75/1 odds most sportsbooks valued Clark at ahead of his win at LACC. Of course, Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm continue to stay atop the outright winner odds as the World No. 1 and World No. 2 ranked golfers, followed by Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, and Patrick Cantlay.

Let’s review the rest of the current outright betting odds ahead of the 2023 Travelers Championship, including previous winners, relevant betting stats, and an in-depth review of the course layout. Then, we’ll get into a few of my top players and reveal the reasoning to bet them outright ahead of Thursday’s opening round from TPC River Highlands. 

Before we get into our picks for the Travelers Championship, make sure to take a moment to check out these awesome sports betting offers for this week. We have teamed up with OddsChecker to ensure that you turn $6 into $400 worth of guaranteed bonuses, or you can use one of the HUGE first bet offers to wager with more confidence on your 2023 Travelers Championship selections this week.

Travelers Championship Betting Odds

2023 Travelers Championship Betting Preview

Previous Winners

• 2022 - Xander Schauffele (-19)
• 2021 - Harris English (-13)
• 2020 - Dustin Johnson (-19)
• 2019 - Chez Reavie (-17)
• 2018 - Bubba Watson (-17)
• 2017 - Jordan Spieth (-12)

Relevant Betting Stats

• Strokes Gained Off-the-Tee
• Strokes Gained Approaching the Green
• Scrambling
• Total Driving
• Strokes Gained Tee-to-Green
• Sand Save percentage

Course Layout

TPC River Highlands is a par 70 that is less than 7,000 yards. Designed by Pete Dye, this course places a premium on ball-striking, which means players who possess powerful, accurate irons will have a leg up on the rest of the field. Most of the par 4s are under 450 yards and will create ample birdie opportunities, but players should be weary of the numerous hazards that come along with these shortened track. These include tall rough, rows of trees, and a mixture of bentgrass and Poa Annua greens that will change the pace of putts and approach shots. More water hazards will emerge, starting at the 8th hole, and continue throughout most of the back nine.

Only two par 5s will provide relief, but the lack of length will allow accurate, powerful shots to get to the greens within one or two strokes. There are only two par 4s that run north of 260 yards, which is a much different layout than the distance baked into recent designated and major events. Four par 3s, evenly distributed along the front and back nine, run anywhere from 158 yards to 229 yards in length. Most of the fairways are doglegged and use trees as a shield to block the hole location on the greens, along with an abundance of circular sand bunkers flanking the greens and fairways. Players who can find the fairways consistently will avoid the tall rough, along with dozens of sand bunkers and water hazards, but there won’t be much undulation in comparison to LACC. 

Top Players To Bet For Outright Travelers Championship Winner

Scottie Scheffler (+600) (Bet $100 to collect $700) DraftKings for the best Scottie Scheffler odds

Scottie Scheffler dominates every event with his ball striking. Only the putter has held him back from collecting more outright wins this season. While Scheffler hasn’t won in a couple of months, he’s logged five consecutive T5 finishes, which is a testament to his consistency and brilliance with his irons. 7/1 is not extremely valuable since Scheffler is once again the outright betting favorite, but he has improved each year at TPC River Highlands, cracking a T15 finish after previously logging a T47 in 2021. Scheffler is due for his third outright win soon, so with a rowdy atmosphere and a course that rewards accuracy and iron play, we need to lay a healthy unit wager on Scheffler’s current +700 outright odds before they dry up once play gets underway.

Viktor Hovland (+2000) (Bet $100 to collect $2,100) For the best Viktor Hovland odds go to DraftKings

Watching Viktor Hovland extend his annual outright winning streak to four years at The Memorial Tournament, which was an elevated event, showcased how good the Norwegian’s ball-striking talent can be. He struggled to make a few birdie putts at the U.S. Open, putting him out of contention, but expect Hovland to be prepared for a strong bounce-back effort at TPC River Highlands. He hasn’t competed here since 2020 when he logged a T11 finish after starting -7-under-par. Hovland has minimal difficulty finding greens in regulation and scrambling when he doesn’t, so as long as the putter acts more like it did at Memorial than it did at the U.S. Open, we’re due for a nice payout at 20/1 odds. Let’s bet this number with confidence.

Collin Morikawa (+2500) (Bet $100 to collect $2,600) Head to DraftKings for the best Collin Morikawa odds

I haven’t been on Collin Morikawa much this season. He’s struggled to be consistent in all four rounds, but his irons are still the best part of his game. Morikawa has built momentum entering Travelers, though, going T26, T29, WD, and T14. He is ranked 13th in total strokes gained, including fifth tee-to-green, second approaching the green, and 25th off-the-tee. His putter has been his Achilles heel, ranking 143rd this season. However, he’s able to hit greens in regulation at over a 69.6 percent rate, which bodes well for his outlook this week. Morikawa’s previous finish here was a missed cut in 2020, but I like how his ball striking has looked lately, so let’s put a small bet on Morikawa at 22/1 on DraftKings Sportsbook.

Tommy Fleetwood (+2500) (Bet $100 to collect $2,600) DraftKings has the best Tommy Fleetwood odds

Tommy Fleetwood is one of my favorite outright prospects to bet on at TPC River Highlands this week. After a forgettable start at the U.S. Open, the Englishman went -7-under-par in the final round, one week after he nearly secured the first outright win of his PGA Tour career in a four-hole playoff against Nick Taylor at the RBC Canadian Open. Fleetwood’s stats are enticing. He’s ranked sixth tee-to-green, 23rd approaching the green, and 10th around the green. Plus, his 24th strokes gained putting, which is a huge skill set to possess on top of the premium ball striking he can deliver. An accurate driver and 18th scrambling rank should launch Fleetwood up all of our outright betting boards this week. I love the value we’re getting at 35/1, even though we haven’t seen Fleetwood collect an outright win yet. It’s only a matter of time, and he’s red-hot right now, so let’s wager confidently on his outright odds this week.

Tom Kim (+3500) (Bet $100 to collect $3,600) Go to DraftKings for the best Tom Kim odds

Tom Kim surged briefly at the U.S. Open before settling back into his average, winding up with a T8 finish. The 20-year-old South Korean prospect burst onto the scene in 2022, but it’s been a bit of a sluggish showing in recent events before LACC. Kim has bounced around between T7 and T34 finishes, while he logged two consecutive missed cuts before a better outing at the U.S. Open. Kim will make his debut at TPC River Highlands, where he could produce a monster outing due to ranking 17th tee-to-green, eighth approaching the green and 14th total driving. He finds greens in regulation at nearly a 70 percent clip, so at 45/1, I really like his outlook to contend down the stretch. Let’s sprinkle on Kim’s 45/1 odds and watch his irons keep him near the top of the leaderboard at TPC River Highlands. 

Prior to Sunday's play, nobody had claimed back-to-back LIV Golf titles. However, after a weather-delayed final round at Sentosa Golf Club, it was Talor Gooch who bucked that trend, with the American defeating Sergio Garcia to pick up a second consecutive victory.

Gooch, who secured a first LIV title in Adelaide following two incredible rounds of 62, started well on the final day in Sentosa, with birdies at the opening two holes putting him in front as he began the third round in a share of the lead with Garcia.

Despite the birdies, the American then bogeyed the third with a birdie at the fourth then seeing Garcia and Brooks Koepka pull alongside Gooch at the top of the leaderboard. Both Garcia and Koepka did drop shots later though and, with a birdie at the eighth for Gooch, it was the 31-year-old who found himself as outright leader.

That advantage didn't last long, as Gooch went on a nine-hole stretch which saw him par every single hole until the 18th. This allowed Garcia to bring himself back into the action, with two birdies on the final three holes getting him to 17-under-par.

Thankfully, for Gooch, he was also able to birdie the final hole to get to 17-under, as both men finished one shot ahead of Koepka who, despite also birdieing the 18th,  fell just shy of the playoff.

As both men headed up the 18th, it was Gooch who got the better of his more experienced opponent, with the American making a birdie to Garcia's par. Picking up the $4 million first prize, it now means that Gooch has secured $8 million in individual winnings over the past fortnight! 

Along with the victory, his Range Goats GC quartet of Bubba Watson, Harold Varner III and Thomas Pieters also claimed the $3 million team award, with the foursome beating Garcia's Fireballs GC team of Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra, Abraham Ancer and Carlos Ortiz by three strokes.

Bryson DeChambeau has hit out at the Official World Golf Ranking, with LIV Golf still currently without ranking points.

The 2020 US Open champion said the system is "not accurate", "pretty much almost obsolete" and "disappointing" as he and his fellow LIV players continue to drop down the rankings. As of this week, DeChambeau is currently ranked 178th in the world, having been 20th this time last year.

He couldn't hide his frustrations when asked about the OWGR, and specifically Talor Gooch dropping down despite winning in Adelaide last week, ahead of this week's fifth event of the LIV Golf League season in Singapore.

"You should realize that the OWGR is not accurate, one," DeChambeau answered.

"Two, I think that they need to come to a resolution or it will become obsolete. It's pretty much almost obsolete as of right now. But again, if the Majors and everything continue to have that as their ranking system, then they are biting it quite heavily. 

"Again, I'm in a lawsuit, so I can't say much more. I'd have much more to say. It's very disappointing that that's the way it goes because it's not right, and I hope people can see through that.

"It's disappointing that somebody takes such a hard stance. I mean, when you are looking at a situation, I always try and take both sides and look at them equally and say, okay, what's the best for everyone and everything, not say: This is the way it needs to be done, this is the way it's been done and this is how it should stay.

"Humans are always moving forward in a, I guess you could say, an innovative direction, and this is just another one of those steps and I hope they catch on pretty quickly, because they are going to run out of business pretty soon."

Bubba Watson, who joined DeChambeau in front of the media, echoed Phil Mickelson's words that the Majors might need to change their qualification criteria away from the world rankings to ensure that LIV players can still play.

"If you're saying these tournaments are the best in the world, you've got to have the best there," Watson said. "To keep them out or to make them lose World Ranking points is not the right way to go.

"I've said it, and I'm going to say it again. I believe we've just got to focus on the tours and our league, and the top players; if that means the PGA Tour gets 60 to 75 guys from there to be in every Major, great. And if that means ten to 15 of our guys, at the end of the year, whoever has the most points get in the Majors, great.

"Forget World Ranking points, just who is the best in your tour and our league and go from there. That's how you do it. It's simple math. Forget World Ranking points about who plays at what tournament, this tournament is better than that tournament, no. Your tour, your league, call it a day, and those places play against each other four times a year."

Bubba Watson revealed some bold plans for LIV Golf that involve teams having their own golf courses, or 'stadiums', while he claimed that the professional game had become "stale" prior to LIV arriving on the scene last year.

The two-time Masters champion captains the RangeGoats franchise in the LIV Golf League, where event number five of the 2023 season takes place this week in Singapore. He was asked about where he sees the Saudi-backed tour in ten years' time, and he gave a bold look into what might be coming, while also revealing his thoughts on what the game was looking like pre-LIV.

"I know what our business plan is and business model is. We are talking about having teams from different parts of the world," he said.

"We are talking about having our own golf courses that, basically, we'll call them our stadiums. We are talking about having golf academies to help young golfers, but also young golfers that want to play at our level, just like any other sports team around the world. So there's a lot of dreams and aspirations and a lot of things that we've already accomplished in less than a year, but we still want to keep going forward. 

"Legacy-wise, I just want to be part of something that was amazing, I believe in. I believe in the right steps and what we are taking. I believe that golf was kind of stale and the only sport that I saw that was missing team atmosphere, we love The Ryder Cup, we love the Presidents Cup, so why not do it all year round?

"For me, you play high school golf as a team, college golf as a team and pro golf, there's no team, and so now there's a team. Legacy is just be to part of something. It's not about me or who I am individually. It's about all of us coming together to start LIV, to be part of LIV, and watch the game of golf to grow to a place it's never been before, and I think so far we are doing it.

"Obviously not as fast as some people want and not as nice as some people want, but I think we are in the right spot, and ten years from now, it will be a different conversation. I mean, I will probably be retired by then. But it will be fun."

Watson was joined in his chat with the media by Bryson DeChambeau, who had nothing else to add. "I couldn't have said it better," DeChambeau said. "He said everything perfectly."

It's not the first time we've heard the idea of golf courses or 'stadiums' being built, as Ian Poulter revealed at the LIV Golf Orlando event that he had travelled to the course via helicopter to scope out any potential sites.

"I know we live very close but we decided to SpeedBird, who help us fly around, had an option to pop in on a helicopter this morning," Poulter said.

"So we're just kind of doing a site visit around Orlando to see if there's any cool areas where we may be able to build a Stix stadium golf course. Took about six minutes door-to-door and made it very easy."

Even in professional golf, you will struggle to see two rounds as spectacular as Talor Gooch's, with the American firing back-to-back 62s as he amassed an almost unassailable lead of 10 shots with just 18 holes remaining in Adelaide.

During his first round, Gooch carded 10 birdies and eight pars, with the 31-year-old then producing an eagle, eight birdies and eight pars on Saturday to sit 10 clear of the next six players at 10-under-par, which include Brooks Koepka and Louis Oosthuizen.

Speaking about his incredible display, Gooch stated that: "You know, it's hard to say. Everything is just going my way. I'm hitting the ball where I want it to go. A couple times where I missed some shots, I ended up in a decent spot, and yeah, it's just a lot of people have asked the last 24 hours, how did you do it, give me the secret basically, and it's like, if I had the secret, we would write that book and everyone would know it. The game is feeling really good right now and, hopefully, we can keep it going."

Obviously, with such a big statement being made by the Range Goats GC player, it has drawn attention from his fellow LIV players, with six-time Major winner, and recent Masters runner-up finisher, Phil Mickelson, claiming that it's "a rarity to have after two rounds such a big lead by Talor Gooch. That's some exceptional play. To have a 10-shot lead after two rounds, that's almost unheard of. It doesn't happen often. I don't know if it's ever happened here on LIV Golf."

Along with Mickelson, Range Goats GC Captain, Bubba Watson, had nothing but praise for his fellow teammate, as he stated: "It's funny, we joked yesterday, for us to get the podium, he's going to have to shoot 30-under. I guess he took it to heart, shot 10-under each day. He's playing great... He's such a steady player, Gooch is, and around this golf course, you've got to put the ball in certain positions, and he's doing that obviously nicely."

Two of the players who lie 10 back of Gooch are Oosthuizen and Koepka, with both men claiming that it'll be "tough to beat" the American over the final day. Such was the surprising nature of his low round, Oosthuizen claimed that 20-under after two rounds is "sort of unheard of."

Looking to take home the $4 million first prize, which will be the biggest payday of his career, Gooch will begin the final day comfortably ahead of a number of players, with a record comeback being needed for them to pick up the title. For reference, the biggest comeback in PGA Tour history came at the 1999 Open Championship, where Paul Lawrie claimed the Claret Jug after Jean Van de Velde's infamous 72nd hole antics at Carnoustie.

Entries closed for US Open qualifying last week, and several LIV Golf players have decided to skip it despite their chances of appearing in the Major hanging by a thread.

Among those opting not to take part in qualifying are Paul Casey, Charles Howell III, Louis Oosthuizen, Ian Poulter, Charl Schwartzel, Bubba Watson and Lee Westwood. Each player is outside the top 100 in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) and, without a special invitation, the only other ways for them to make the tournament is to either reach the top 60 by May 22 or the week before the tournament, or win the PGA Championship. 

None of them are currently in the field for the second Major of the year, and it’s unlikely they’ll make it considering their limited options to accumulate OWGR points.

It's not looking quite so bad for Patrick Reed and Talor Gooch, who are two other LIV Golf players who have not applied for qualifying but have calculated they’ve done enough to reach the tournament. 

Reed is currently World No.44 and Gooch is World No.57. In particular, Reed will be confident of holding onto his place in the world's top 60 in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, Gooch is likely to have a PGA Championship appearance as a potential ace up his sleeve in an effort to maintain the necessary ranking. 

Elsewhere, some LIV Golf players aren't taking as many chances, with Sergio Garcia, Matthew Wolff, Marc Leishman and Harold Varner III all having signed up for qualification for a chance to tee it up at Los Angeles Country Club in June.

It's not so precarious for all LIV Golfers. For example, Mito Pereira and Abraham Ancer will be confident of reaching the tournament as they are eligible for the PGA Championship, where they can either win it and qualify or accumulate the necessary OWGR points to get there. The likes of Thomas Pieters and Harold Varner III should also be eligible for the Oak Hill Country Club tournament.

For others, the outlook is even rosier, with players including Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, Cameron Smith and Joaquin Niemann guaranteed their US Open places thanks to various other qualifying criteria.

This week, LIV Golf players are competing in the circuit's first ever tournament in Australia, at Adelaide's Grange Golf Club.

Much was made of the LIV golfers at this year's Masters.

Do they play 'real' golf? Will they be rusty having played fewer tournaments? Just how badly affected have they been by missing out on the likes of Riviera, Bay Hill, TPC Sawgrass and Austin Country Club?

Well, as I said earlier in the week, it's ridiculous to rule them out. Masters week saw some of them play badly - six of the 18 missed the cut - as well as two of them withdrawing, but a LIV player nearly won The Masters with two of them finishing T2nd behind Jon Rahm.

Brooks Koepka held the 54-hole lead but a poor display on Sunday afternoon saw him overtaken and left behind by Rahm. A sensational 65 from Phil Mickelson tied him at eight-under-par, with Koepka eventually signing for a closing 75.

Cameron Smith rallied the LIV troops pre-tournament by saying they need to play well, and the Aussie, Champion Golfer of the Year at St Andrews last July, looked like he was going to do his part with a two-under-par 70 on Thursday but his challenge fell away over the final three days.

A total of four LIV players finished under par, with 2018 Masters winner Patrick Reed posting an impressive T4th finish at seven-under and Joaquin Niemann at two-under in T16th.

There were 18 LIV players in the field starting the week, but only 16 completed two weather-delayed rounds after Kevin Na withdrew following his front nine due to illness and Louis Oosthuizen also withdrew on Saturday. An impressive 12 LIV players made the Masters cut.

Take a look at the final LIV Golf leaderboard below to see how they got on in the 87th Masters...

LIV Players' scores at the 2023 Masters:

• -8 Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson (T2)
• -7 Patrick Reed (T4)
• -2 Joaquin Niemann (T16)
• +1 Harold Varner III (T29)
• +4 Cameron Smith, Talor Gooch (T34)
• +5 Abraham Ancer (T39)
• +6 Mito Pereira (T43)
• +8 Thomas Pieters, Dustin Johnson, Charl Schwartzel (T48)
• MISSED THE CUT:
• +4 Bryson DeChambeau
• +7 Sergio Garcia
• +8 Jason Kokrak
• +9 Bubba Watson 
• WD Kevin Na, Louis Oosthuizen

Wherever he is in the world right now, Greg Norman is probably having a little chuckle to himself. The LIV Golf CEO never misses an opportunity to big up his players – so be sure to keep an eye on the outspoken Australian's Twitter account, because the irony is, after 36 holes have finally been played here at the 2023 Masters, 54 players will be competing over the weekend.

For anyone who has been living under a rock this past year, LIV is the controversial Saudi-backed rival Tour that’s turned the world of golf on its head. As the second round of the 2023 Masters finally got completed in heavy rain on Saturday, 54 players made the cut – ironic given that 54 is LIV in Roman numerals (they play 54 holes).

There has been plenty of mud flying back and forth between players and supporters of every circuit around the world, with some of those playing on the traditional Tours, where 72-hole strokeplay is the norm, poking fun at the 54-hole tournaments and the fact that only 48 players compete. 

Norman has become very vocal in relentlessly backing his LIV Golf team, and the fact that 54 players remain at Augusta National probably won't be lost on him. In total, 18 LIV Golf players teed it up at the start of the week for the 87th Masters. With the top 50 and ties making it through, the first to miss out was Kevin Na, who withdrew after just nine holes of round one due to illness.

Louis Oosthuizen, who lost in a playoff to Bubba Watson in 2012, joined Na, pulling out with just one hole of round two remaining, citing injury. Of the remaining 16, another four failed to make the cut, which fell at three over. Among them were two previous Masters champions in Watson and Sergio Garcia. Meanwhile, Jason Kokrak and Bryson DeChambeau went home early.

At the other end of the leaderboard, LIV golfer Brooks Koepka stormed into the halfway lead with two classy rounds (65 and 67) to give him a two-shot advantage over Spain’s Jon Rahm heading into the third round.

Greg Norman, who did not receive an invitation to The Masters, said the LIV contingent would storm the final green if one of them triumphed this week, and with Koepka in prime position to add to his Major haul of four, that remains a very real possibility.

Phil Mickelson, who boldly predicted that he’s “close to going on a tear” after the conclusion of his second round, is the next best-placed LIV golfer on the Masters leaderboard at four-under-par, the same score as fellow LIV player, Joaquin Niemann. In total, 12 LIV players made the Masters cut.

The 2023 Masters was one of the most highly anticipated in recent memory, as players from LIV Golf and the traditional tours came together for the first time since last year's Open in July. 

With golfers from the breakaway circuit still banned from the PGA Tour, Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley confirmed in December of last year that he wouldn't be imposing any bans for the first men's Major of the year. 

In a statement, Ridley said: "Regrettably, recent actions have divided men's professional golf by diminishing the virtues of the game and the meaningful legacies of those who built it. Although we are disappointed in these developments, our focus is to honour the tradition of bringing together a pre-eminent field of golfers this coming April.

"Therefore, as invitations are sent this week, we will invite those eligible under our current criteria to compete in the 2023 Masters Tournament."

That left the way clear for LIV's six past Masters champions - Phil Mickelson, Charl Schwartzel, Bubba Watson, Sergio Garcia, Patrick Reed and Dustin Johnson - and an additional 12 players who qualified via other criteria. But how many of the 18 LIV golfers made the Masters cut?

With the top 50 and ties making it through, the first to miss out was Kevin Na, who withdrew after just nine holes of round one due to illness. Louis Oosthuizen, who lost in a playoff to Watson in 2012, joined Na, pulling out with just one hole of round two remaining, citing injury.

Of the remaining 16, another four failed to make the cut, which fell at +3. Among them were two previous winners in Watson and Garcia. Jason Kokrak and Bryson DeChambeau were the other LIV players to miss out.

At the other end of the leaderboard, Brooks Koepka not only made the cut but leads at the halfway mark after two stunning rounds of 65 and 67 got him to 12-under and two clear of Jon Rahm heading into the third round.

The breakaway circuit's CEO Greg Norman said the LIV contingent would storm the final green if one of them clinched the Green Jacket, so that remains a very real possibility. In total 12 LIV players made the Masters cut.

Which LIV Golf players made the 2023 Masters cut?

LIV golfers to make the cut:

Brooks Koepka (-12)
Phil Mickelson (-4)
Joaquin Niemann (-4)
Patrick Reed (-3)
Cameron Smith (-2)
Harold Varner III (-1)
Dustin Johnson (-1)
Abraham Ancer (-1)
Mito Pereira (E)
Talor Gooch (+2)
Charl Schwartzel (+3)
Thomas Pieters (+3)

LIV golfers to miss the cut:

Bryson DeChambeau (+4)
Sergio Garcia (+7)
Jason Kokrak (+8)
Bubba Watson (+8)
Louis Oosthuizen (WD)
Kevin Na (WD)

Louis Oosthuizen's venture for a second Major title goes on after the South African withdrew from The Masters with injury. He had been seven-over-par at the time, with the likelihood of making the cut virtually impossible, especially as Oosthuizen had just one hole left to complete.

It now means the 40-year-old is the second LIV golfer to withdraw from the tournament, with Kevin Na backing out after just nine holes on Thursday, citing illness. The two also join Will Zalatoris, who didn't even get to tee off at Augusta National because of injury.

Firing a first round 76, the South African shot a four-over-par front nine to sit at eight-over-par for the tournament. Another bogey followed at the 11th, with the 2010 Open champion making back-to-back birdies at the 15th and 16th.

After parring the 17th, he and the other remaining golfers on the course were then met with the hooter as play was suspended for the day due to the inclement weather. With golfers set to return at 8.00am on Saturday morning, Oosthuizen withdrew because of injury, meaning he won't be joining playing partners Kevin Kisner and Adrian Meronk on the 18th.

Making his 14th appearance in the event, Oosthuizen in fact withdrew from the tournament last year with injury. That time he was playing with Tiger Woods and Joaquin Niemann, with the 40-year-old also firing a four-over round during the first day back in 2022!

His best result at The Masters came in 2012, when he made it to a playoff against Bubba Watson. That day, he lost via an incredible shot from Watson on the par 4 10th.

It's not the first time that the injury bug has plagued Oosthuizen though. Back in November 2021, he withdrew from the PGA Tour's RSM Classic and, since the LIV Golf Invitational event in Tuscon, he has been seen wearing a pad on his right elbow, which could be the main cause of his withdrawal. 

Bubba Watson has vowed to do everything he can to attend the 2024 Augusta National Women's Amateur after missing out this year due to his participation in LIV Golf Florida, which clashed with the tournament.

Watson is well known for his support of the event, which was won this year by Rose Zhang after she edged out Jenny Bae in a dramatic playoff. However, he admitted that this year he’s not had chance to speak to any of the players. He said: “I haven't spoken to any of the girls. Normally I'm here. I had to play last week. Normally I'm here and I'm supporting the girls and watching them, but I haven't been able to speak to any of them so far. “

The two-time Masters winner clearly relishes his involvement at Augusta National, and his absence was a situation he admitted was difficult. That’s something he hopes to change in future. He explained: “Yeah, 100 percent. I've talked to the people at LIV. I want to be here. I want to be here for the juniors. I want to be here for the ladies. I usually get here on Friday. I'm going to do everything I can to finish the tournament on Friday or maybe have it a week earlier. Again, I have power, but not that much.”

It’s not the first time Watson has spoken of his desire to immerse himself in the whole week at Augusta National and not just the main tournament. Before January’s PIF Saudi International, Watson said he hoped to persuade the powers-that-be at LIV to amend the schedule to avoid the clash next year. 

He said: “I was very thankful that we get to go back to the Masters. Then LIV announced their schedule, so I won't be able to go to the women's tournament or the Drive, Chip & Putt with the kids because we'll be in Orlando.

“But it's one year, I'm going to definitely be in the ears of people at LIV and try to see if I can get back there because I want to support what the Masters means to the game of golf, what the membership of Augusta means to the game of golf, and I would love to be there for the Women's Amateur and the kids on Sunday.”

Back then, Watson also revealed his son would caddie for him this week, and that he’d beg Jay Monahan for the chance to play in the PNC Championship alongside his son when he sees the PGA Tour commissioner this week.

The narrative heading into this week's Masters is that LIV Golf players don't play 'real' golf and they'll be far too rusty to compete for the fabled Green Jacket.

That simply can't be true.

Cameron Smith has admitted that LIV fields are weaker but has hit out at the claims they don't play real golf.

The controversial league does play just 54-holes and players don't have to worry about missing a cut with the added peace of mind that they'll be picking up at least $120,000 in prize money no matter how they play. 

Playing that format vs big, designated PGA Tour events where you must make the cut to cover your expenses around the likes of Riviera and Bay Hill is obviously not as taxing, but you can't rule out the LIV players purely based on the format that they've been playing for less than a year.

The quality of players the league has signed up since June has been fairly remarkable, with the likes of Dustin Johnson, Cameron Smith, Patrick Reed, Brooks Koepka, Abraham Ancer and Joaquin Niemann all capable of winning on any given week around any given golf course.

DJ won The Masters in 2020, Smith won The Players and the 150th Open last year among others, Reed won the 2018 Masters and took McIlroy all the way at the Dubai Desert Classic in January, Koepka sounds like he's fit again and motivated to go back to winning Majors like he was doing between 2017-2019, Abraham Ancer won a WGC just over 18 months ago and Joaquin Niemann opened the week 63-63 to win the Genesis Invitational round Riviera last February.

They're six of the league's 'best' players right now and it wouldn't be a surprise to see any of them contending on Sunday afternoon.

Of course there's also 2020 US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, who looks well out of form to be fair, Mito Pereira who almost won the PGA Championsip last year, seven-time DP World Tour winner Thomas Pieters and plenty of other talented and winning golfers who could surprise people this week.

Will a LIV player win The Masters? It's probably unlikely but certainly not out of the equation. A good amount of them will inevitably miss the cut but to simply rule them all out is naive.

Which 18 LIV players are in the field this week?

• Abraham Ancer
• Bryson DeChambeau
• Sergio Garcia
• Talor Gooch
• Dustin Johnson
• Brooks Koepka
• Jason Kokrak
• Phil Mickelson
• Kevin Na
• Joaquin Niemann
• Louis Oosthuizen
• Mito Pereira
• Thomas Pieters
• Patrick Reed
• Charl Schwartzel
• Cameron Smith
• Harold Varner III
• Bubba Watson

As LIV Golf's wait to be recognised by the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) continues, Thomas Pieters admits his days of teeing it up at The Masters could be numbered.

Players on the breakaway circuit are currently banned from the PGA Tour and were dealt another blow after a report emerged that the DP World Tour has won its panel hearing against LIV players.

That leaves limited opportunities for the likes of Pieters, the World No. 44 who joined Bubba Watson's Range Goats ahead of the 2023 LIV Golf League, to earn ranking points.

The Belgian has played in The Masters three times, finishing in a tie for fourth on debut in 2017, and is out to savour what could be his last appearance at Augusta National for the Green Jacket showdown.

"Not really," Pieters said, when asked is he was concerned about his world ranking plummeting. "It's always nice to be here. Obviously family's here, mum and dad are even here. First time for them, so that's pretty cool.

"I took my parents here because it could be my last one. That's just being realistic. I don't know. Time will tell. We'll see."

Much has been made in the build-up of the divide that has fractured the men's game between players on the traditional tours and those who left to join the Saudi-funded circuit. Harold Varner was one of the defectors in 2022 and hit out at what he feels has been media bias against LIV Golf, a sentiment Pieters echoed.

"I haven't felt any tension," he added. "It's just nice to see them [PGA and DP World Tour players] again. Yeah, it's nice to see them again. The media's making it much of a bigger thing than it really is."

Pieters is out with Shane Lowry - whom he played a practice round with - and Mackenzie Highes for rounds one and two, and gets underway at 9.36am local time (3.36pm BST) on Thursday.

One of the biggest storylines this week is the inclusion of 18 LIV Golf members in the 2023 Masters field.

Augusta made the decision to allow all members that qualified for this year's tournament still participate, and with as many as six Masters champions among LIV Golf's ranks, it may be hard to shake them in the future as well.

Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, Charl Schwartzel, Patrick Reed, and Bubba Watson have all earned lifetime exemptions into The Masters after donning the Green Jacket at least once. Both Mickelson and Watson are two-time winners of this famous event as well, giving them an even richer affinity with the event.

Can any of the above compete once again at The Masters? Will some of LIV's younger contingent make inroads this week? Time will tell, but for now, let's look at the current odds for each of the 18 LIV Golfers at The Masters this week.

Ranking LIV Golfers by Their Masters Odds

Let's take a look at the LIV Golf Odds at this week's Masters to see if any player from the rebel golf league can really make an impact at Augusta.

The Challengers

Cameron Smith (+2400) Get the Best Odds on Cameron Smith at FanDuel

Cameron Smith is the most likely to win at Augusta this year, according to the Sportsbooks, which is no great surprise given he is the most recent major winner, and also has a tremendous Masters record.

Smith won the 2022 Open Championship at St. Andrews and then swiftly moved over to the LIV Golf League, and whilst he hasn't pulled up any trees since making the switch, the sportsbooks are still not taking a chance on the Aussie, who has impressed multiple times on this layout. 

In six starts at The Masters, Cameron Smith has posted four top 10 finishes, three of which were top 5 finishes. In each of the past three years, he has been inside the top 10, and if he is healthy, he can certainly compete again.

He is +2400 based on the strength of his Augusta record and the fact he is the most recent major champion in golf, holding off Rory McIlroy last time, but is he playing well enough to compete this week?

With the shortest Masters odds among LIV Golfers, Smith is expected to lead the charge for the breakaway league.

Dustin Johnson (+2500) Get the Best Odds on Dustin Johnson at FanDuel

FanDuel are once again leading the way in terms of odds on the LIV Golfers, as they seemingly look to take on the Tour rebels.

Dustin Johnson has arguably shown enough during his time with LIV to suggest he's playing solid enough golf to compete here at Augusta, as he has won once and has two more podium finishes.

We don't yet truly know how LIV Golf form translates in terms of major contention, but Johnson has finished T24 at Brookline Country Club, and T6 at St.Andrews in his two major appearances since resigning from the PGA Tour last June.

Johnson won this event in epic style back in 2020, and in his four previous starts at Augusta before that win, he had finished inside the top 10 each time, including when T2 behind Tiger Woods in 2019.

At +2500, sportsbooks are keeping Johnson slightly onside in terms of LIV Masters participants, and around him in terms of Masters odds are Collin Morikawa, Jason Day, Cameron Young, and Xander Schauffele, to give you some perspective on how sportsbooks rate Johnson's chances this week.

Brooks Koepka (+4000) Get the Best Odds on Brooks Koepka at DraftKings

There is now a big jump in odds to the next LIV Golfer who the sportsbooks give a legitimate shot of winning, but it is the four-time major winner, Brooks Koepka who is rated at 40-1 to win the 2023 Masters.

Koepka won last week in Orlando, and whilst we do now know quite how much that means in terms of his actual form when pit against the likes of Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, and Rory McIlroy, it is a confidence boost that can only aid his chances.

We know Koepka is all about the majors, he won four of them in two years, but so far The Masters has eluded him.

Koepka's best chance at Augusta came in 2019 when he also finished T2 alongside Dustin Johnson, the year Tiger Woods won, as he fell just one shot shy of the win. He followed that with a T7 finish in 2020, but in the latter, he never really had a shot at winning.

We saw in Full Swing how much winning this event would mean to Koepka, but we also saw how vulnerable he felt after his injuries. Can he find enough this week to challenge the best in the world?

Joaquin Niemann (+7000) Get the Best Odds on Joaquin Niemann at FanDuel

Just last year, Joaquin Niemann confirmed what we already knew, that he was a superstar in waiting. He did this by winning the Genesis Invitational wire-to-wire, never relinquishing his lead all week.

That win at Riviera was Niemann's second on TOUR, but he had already got close twice more in 2021, losing two playoffs at the Sentry Tournament of Champions and the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

At just 24 years old, and seemingly with the golfing world at his feet, Niemann was perhaps one of the most head-scratching choices when it came to LIV Golf deflectors. He wasn't supposed to move, everything suggested the move to LIV was for those in the twilight of his career, but his switch changed that.

Niemann is yet to make an impact at Augusta, his 35th finish here last year was his best effort so far, and with a T23 finish at the 2020 US Open his best major effort to date, it may be hard to see him come and win a Green Jacket this week.

The Chilean has finished 3rd twice on the LIV Tour so far, but he's been inconsistent since making the move, and there is little to suggest he can win here.

Patrick Reed (+7500) Get the Best Odds on Patrick Reed at FanDuel

Patrick Reed relishes the villain role, its what makes him tick, and after denying Rory McIroy and Rickie Fowler their first Green Jacket when winning here in 2018, it became even clearer he plays his best when everyone is rooting against him.

Reed has not been great since moving to LIV but he has finished 2nd there already and was 4th last week in Orlando, so there have been positive signs at the right time. 

In limited starts on the DP World Tour, Reed has impressed, finishing 5th at Wentworth last September, and 2nd in Dubai behind Rory earlier this year, so he is still playing well.

Reed has posted two top 10 finishes since winning here in 2018 and he clearly likes Augusta, so can he play the villain role once more?

LIV Masters Longshots

Mito Pereira (+11000) Get the Best Odds on Mito Pereira at FanDuel

Mito Pereira came so close to winning the 2022 PGA Championship, but an errant drive ruined his chances, and he has since made the move to LIV to join up with good friend, Joaquin Niemann.

The Chilean was really making an impact on the PGA Tour, after gaining battlefield promotion from the Korn Ferry Tour a year earlier, and he was being touted as a winner in waiting. 

Pereira has been consistent on LIV without breaking through for a top finish yet, and it will be interesting to see how he plays on his Masters debut.

Bryson DeChambeau (+13000) Get the Best Odds on Bryson DeChambeau at DraftKings

"Augusta is a Par 67 for me" will forever live in the memories of golf fans around the world, as Bryson DeChambeau talked up his chances ahead of the 2021 Masters. He went on to finish T46 that week at Augusta, his worst effort to date.

Bryson was the low amateur here in 2016, and his T21 finish that week remains his best effort at Augusta National. 

There was a time when Bryson was among the favorites to win this event, but his Masters odds now sit at +13000 and he doesn't even rank among the top LIV Golfers this week, let alone the field.

Bryson has not finished better than 10th in any of his starts on the LIV Tour, so do we really think he stands a chance on a course he generally struggles at?

Louis Oosthuizen (+14000) Get the Best Odds on Louis Oosthuizen at FanDuel

Once a runner-up here in 2012, losing out to Bubba Watson in a playoff, Louis Oosthuizen has consistently shown a reasonable liking to Augusta, but that effort in 2012 remains his only top 10 in this event.

The 40-year-old South African recently lost in a playoff on LIV, but there is no real reason to rate his chances this week, as he enters his twilight years.

Abraham Ancer (+17000) Get the Best Odds on Abraham Ancer at FanDuel

Abraham Ancer was another one like Joaquin Niemann and Mito Pereira who seemingly left the PGA Tour when at the peak of his powers. Now, he will want to remind everyone just how good he is, backing up his 11th place finish at St. Andrews in the most recent major.

Ancer finished T13 and T26 in his first two starts at Augusta before missing the cut last year, so he's shown glimpses of form here, and he does have two top 10s at the PGA Championship over the past two seasons as well.

The Mexican could be a solid pick as a top 20, but winning looks tough for Ancer.

Thomas Pieters (+18000) Get the Best Odds on Thomas Pieters at FanDuel

Thomas Pieters finished T4 on his Masters debut back in 2017, but he's missed two cuts since, and it is hard to see him replicating that same success this year.

A hugely talented golfer, who the DP World Tour will sorely miss, Pieters will still have his backers and followers, but there's little to suggest he makes an impact this week, and his Masters odds of +18000 make sense.

Sergio Garcia (+19000) Get the Best Odds on Sergio Garcia at FanDuel

Sergio Garcia finally won his first major in 2017, when he beat Ryder Cup teammate, Justin Rose, to slip on the Green Jacket.

Since then his Masters record has been nothing short of disastrous, with three missed cuts and a sole top-23 finish last year to his name. 

There is no evidence from his play on the LIV Tour to suggest he can turn it around at Augusta, and it is fair to say 2017 was a highlight he may never see again.

As you can see the LIV Golf Masters odds are slowly creeping into huge longshot territory, and by this point, we have likely covered any LIV Golfer that can win the Masters.

Talor Gooch (+21000) Get the Best Odds on Talor Gooch at FanDuel

These odds on Talor Gooch from FanDuel actually look fairly generous, as Gooch was another player who left the PGA Tour when on an upward trajectory, and he impressed on his debut here last year.

If Gooch was simply on the PGA Tour instead of the LIV Tour, his odds would probably be cut in half this week, as he finished T14 on his debut at Augusta last year, showing a liking for the course.

Gooch wapped the 4 Aces for The RangeGoats on LIV, but his results there remain the same.. underwhelming. 

Bubba Watson (+25000) Get the Best Odds on Bubba Watson at DraftKings

DraftKings have typically stayed fairly neutral on these LIV Golf Masters contenders, letting FanDuel take a stance instead, but they have gone +25000 that Bubba Watson captures a third Green Jacket here.

Watson suffered injuries last year, so we haven't seen a whole lot of this two-time Masters winner, and his best finish since he played on LIV was T23, so it makes sense to overlook him here.

Since his second win here in 2014, Watson has finished T5 in 2018 and T12 in 2019, but otherwise failed to make an impact.

Harold Varner III (+26000) Get the Best Odds on Harold Varner III at FanDuel

Harold Varner III has always been one of the most likeable figures in golf, and he is perhaps one of the only ones to be forgiven for making the move to LIV, although some will still contest that.

Varner was 23rd here last year on his Masters debut but he's been poor since joining the LIV Tour, and there is nothing to suggest he wins this week.

Charl Schwartzel (+30000) Get the Best Odds on Charl Schwartzel at DraftKings

Charl Schwartzel famously won here in 2011, the beneficiary of Rory McIlroy's front nine collapse, and he's actually played some good golf here since as well.

Schwartzel was 3rd behind the two playoff protagonists in 2017, and just last year he finished in a tie for 10th, so can he make an impact this week? 

The answer is likely no, but he did win the first ever LIV Golf event so has 'winning form' fresh enough in his mind. He has failed to make an impact since though, and there's a reason he's amongst the biggest in terms of LIV Golf Masters odds.

Phil Mickelson (+30000) Get the Best Odds on Phil Mickelson at DraftKings

Oh Phil... 

Mickelson etched his name in Masters history in 2004 when he captures his first major title here, and six years later he added Green Jacket to his collection.

He then boosted his reputation with a shock win at the 2021 PGA Championship, but ruined it in the most dramatic fashion, by attacking the PGA Tour on his way out of the door. 

Mickelson will not get the same welcome he usually gets here, but even if that didn't bother him, he's simply not playing well enough to feature anyway.

Jason Kokrak (+34000) Get the Best Odds on Jason Kokrak at FanDuel

After years of coming up short, Jason Kokrak finally learned how to win on the PGA Tour, winning three times in a little over 12 months, between October 2020, and November 2021.

This was clearly enough for Kokrak who then decided financial freedom was more important than winning, which on the face of it, for someone of his profile, is probably fair enough.

Kokrak finished T14 here last year, but it is extremely unlikely he matches that, let alone betters it.

Kevin Na (+42000) Get the Best Odds on Kevin Na at FanDuel

Kevin Na's reputation has always been up and down even on the PGA Tour, but people were starting to warm to him as he began walking in putts and winning more regularly from 2018 onwards.

Na has actually posted five top-14 finishes at Augusta, three of which have come over the past three years, so could he sneak into the top 20? You will get good odds on him to do so if you think he can.

LIV Golf Masters Odds Summary

We have covered each of the 18 LIV Golf players teeing it up this week at Augusta, but can any of them realistically win?

Beyond Dustin Johnson, Cameron Smith, Brooks Koepka, or Patrick Reed the answer is probably no, but that group is possibly worth paying attention to.

Ben Crenshaw has admitted he is “a little concerned” about the imminent Champions Dinner ahead of the 2023 Masters.

The two-time winner made his final competitive appearance at the first men’s Major of the year in 2015, but acts as de-facto host for the pre-tournament dinner that brings together past champions and Augusta National Golf Club Chairman Fred Ridley.

However, ‘Gentle Ben’ is expecting his job to be a little tougher this year, with players from the traditional tours set to break bread with six members of LIV Golf who have previously slipped on the green jacket.

"I’m a little concerned to be honest," Crenshaw told Sports Illustrated. “I’m not sure what is going to happen. I’m expecting that cooler heads will prevail and everything will be fine."

Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Patrick Reed, Bubba Watson and Charl Schwartzel make up the LIV contingent expected to be in attendance for Scottie Scheffler’s feast, and how they are likely to be received when they rock up to the iconic Georgia venue has garnered plenty of attention in the build-up.

Wherever allegiances lie, however, Crenshaw hopes the night is focused on the defending champion and not on any ongoing quarrels that may or may not exist.

"Our job is to honour the champion Scottie Scheffler, not only for winning The Masters but for what a wonderful year he had last year – as he emerged as one of the best players in the world," Crenshaw said back in January.

"I hope the focus is on the champion and the tournament but I really just don’t know – I’ve been worried about it I’ll be honest.”

Tiger Woods also hinted it could be a little awkward ahead of the Genesis Invitational in February, admitting that friendships he previously had with some players on the breakaway circuit had “taken a different path”. The five-time Masters champion has been one of the most vocal critics of the Greg Norman-fronted venture but echoed Crenshaw's sentiment.

“We need to honour Scottie,” Woods said. “Scottie’s the winner, it’s his dinner. So making sure that Scottie gets honoured correctly but also realising the nature of what has transpired and the people that have left, just where our situations are either legally, emotionally, there’s a lot there.

“I don’t know what that reaction’s going to be, but we’ll see when all that transpires.”

Adding another layer of intrigue are the recent comments made by Gary Player, with the South African ranking the Masters as the worst of the four Majors and bemoaning the fact he has to “beg” a  member to accompany him if he wants to bring guests onto the course.

“After all I’ve contributed to the tournament and been an ambassador for them, I can’t go and have a practice round there with my three grandchildren without having to beg a member to play with us, and there’s always some excuse,” Player told The Times.

“It’s terribly, terribly sad. "That’s why I rate the Open No 1. If it wasn’t for the players, (Augusta) would just be another golf course in Georgia.”

Bryson DeChambeau has seemed to confirm that his former friend and Ryder Cup teammate Tiger Woods has cut him off following the Golfing Scientist's move to LIV Golf.

DeChambeau joined the Saudi-backed start-up circuit last year for a fee reported to be north of $125m and as well as being suspended from the PGA Tour, it appears that he has lost strong PGA Tour supporter Tiger Woods as a friend and mentor.

The pair regularly played practice rounds together and paired at the 2018 Ryder Cup in Paris where they went down 5&4 to Molinari and Fleetwood, dubbed 'Moliwood', in the Saturday afternoon foursomes.

DeChambeau was asked by Golfweek's Adam Schupack if anyone from the PGA Tour has cut him off post-LIV, with the 2020 US Open champion responding: “Yeah, definitely, I’m sure you can guess who.

“Yeah, I’m not going to throw anyone under the bus. He’s been a great friend. I texted him on his birthday. It is what it is.

"He has his viewpoints on it and thinks we’re potentially hurting his record. If anything, nobody is ever going to touch his record. That’s just it, that’s the bottom line. There’s a chance to grow the game even more and I hope one day he’ll see the vision that we all have out here.”

It seems like evidence of another friendship going by the wayside since the emergence of LIV, with Sergio Garcia and Rory McIlroy's public fallout attracting headlines over the past 12 months. McIlroy was a groomsman at Garcia's wedding but stated there was "no way" the pair would rekindle. Garcia said the Northern Irishman was "lacking maturity."

Not all friendships are in tatters, though. Bubba Watson this week said that he is playing in the Masters Par 3 contest next week with PGA Tour friends and that it was the media stirring things up.

“I'm going to be honest, man. It's only awkward in the media,” the two-time Masters winner said.

“I've talked to people that are going to be there. I'm going to sign up with Jason Day and Cam Young in the Par 3. Some guys have already asked me to play some practice rounds. Media is the only one that is pushing it. I have nothing against anybody."

DeChambeau also told Golfweek that he's spoken with Dallas-based players like Jordan Spieth and Will Zalatoris multiple times, so it seems that the only player to cut him out so far at least is Tiger Woods.

The pair will both be at Augusta National next week for the 2023 Masters. Before that, though, Bryson tees it up at Orlando's Orange County National in the third event of the LIV Golf League. 

His Crushers GC side won the first event of the season in Mexico but his own form has been lacking. Since joining LIV last June, the former World No.4's two best finishes were 10th-places in the 48-man fields. He finished the first year in 21st place overall and is currently 34th in the standings after two events.

The changes to the 13th at Augusta National will lead to a lot more laying up, even from big hitters like Bubba Watson and Dustin Johnson, and could well take some of the excitement out of the hole over the Masters weekend.

Two-time winner Watson and fellow Green Jacket owner Patrick Reed have both played the lengthened 13th at Augusta ahead of the 2023 Masters, with Watson having to hit four and three irons into the green and Johnson needing to lay up.

Coming in at 510 yards last year, the hole can now be extended to up to 545 yards and is a much more difficult prospect for the Masters field, with more long irons and hybrids needed to reach in two and far more lay ups expected.

“It looks beautiful,” Watson said of the new 13th hole. “But I think there's going to be a lot more laying up just because the water is now into play, the little creek there is into play. You think about it more. 

“I hit two good drives and I had 231 the first day and then I had like 227 the second day, and I hit two drives, so I hit a 3-iron one day and a 4-iron but in the tournament I probably would have laid up.

“So it was just one of those things. I think it's going to be more laying up just because it's going to be questionable. But a lot more pars, I believe.”

Reed played with Harold Varner and Johnson, who he said also had to lay up despite his length off the tee – so it seems that there won’t be too many going for the green in two during the tournament.

“Like Bubba said, on 13, there's going to be a lot more laying up,” added Reed, who was speaking ahead of the latest LIV Golf League event in Orlando. 

“I played with DJ and Harold over there for two days, and I went in there with hybrid for two days off of that lie, and if the greens firm up at all and get to kind of tournament speed, with the ball that far above your feet, that hybrid isn't coming in that high.

“DJ laid up both days. I laid up. Tournament time I would have laid up, but since we're out there seeing it, I of course went and send for it.

“With adding that extra length, you can't cut as much of that corner. You can't get far enough down that left side that - I've always had where if it's 4-iron, no, I can't turn it around that corner. If it's a 4-iron or less, I'll send, but after that it's a lay-up.”

There are fears that having the 13th being made much more difficult will take the possibility of making eagles out of the question and thereby take some of the excitement out of the tournament.

Will 13th changes take the fun out of Masters Sunday?

The old mantra of the tournament only coming alive down the back nine on Sunday is in part due to the fact that plenty of shots can be picked up as well as lost down that stretch – but taking eagles out of play on 13 could limit that excitement.

“Well, I think it'll take a little bit of the excitement out of that 13,” Reed admitted. “And then adding - 15 being 550, if it's into the wind, guys aren't going to hit 3-woods into that green because it's hard to hold that thing, and long is so dead at tournament speed.

“Unless you get the right wind conditions, you could just start seeing lay-ups on both of those par-5s, and now you're taking - where it used to be you could make a three but you could also bring six and seven into play, now a lay-up where it's a four or a five.”

Of course, the new tees at Augusta just give organisers an added defence for the course, and depending on wind and weather conditions they could decide to push the golfers all the way back, or bring the tees forward and play holes 13 and 15 shorter.

Using the full range of tee boxes available will keep the players guessing and also give Augusta National the option to tempt them to go for eagles again on Masters Sunday – making it a tougher test for three days but also bringing out all the usual thrills and spills as contenders fight it out for the Green Jacket.

Bubba Watson says he’ll be playing the Par 3 Contest at the Masters with Jason Day and Cameron Young after insisting the relationship between LIV and PGA Tour golfers is “only awkward in the media”.

Much has been made about the meeting of the two golfing factions at Augusta National when LIV Golf stars will take on their PGA Tour counterparts in the first Major of the year.

The Masters always has the biggest and most prolonged build-up due to its position in the calendar, but it’s even bigger this year due to the on-going split in professional golf.

And there has been shots fired continually from both sides, with departing LIV golfers taking aim at Jay Monahan while PGA Tour players such as Rory McIlroy have criticised LIV boss Greg Norman.

Apart from McIlroy’s much-publicised spat with Sergio Garcia and his exchange of words with Patrick Reed in Dubai, most players insist that the main beef is between officials of the two organisations and not the players.

Brooks Koepka has insists nobody is angry with players who have decided to go to LIV, and Watson has always said the same – with the two-time Masters champion reiterating the fact ahead of his return to Augusta.

“I'm going to be honest, man. It's only awkward in the media,” Watson said ahead of the third LIV Golf League event of the season in Orlando.

“I've talked to people that are going to be there. I'm going to sign up with Jason Day and Cam Young in the par-three. Some guys have already asked me to play some practice rounds.

“Media is the only one that is pushing it. I have nothing against anybody. If you change jobs, I'm not mad at you. If you start reporting for somebody else, hey, man, it's a better decision for you and your family. Have at it.” 

Rory McIlroy right to defend PGA Tour

Watson can also see where McIlroy is coming from as perhaps the most outspoken LIV critic, saying the Northern Irishman is “protecting his entity, man. He's protecting his business, which is fine.”

The 44-year-old is looking forward to play in the Par 3 Contest, after seeing changes Augusta National has made to the short course.

“First of all, it was amazing. I didn't know that they changed the par-3 course,” Watson added after a seeing it on a recent visit.

“When I drove in to go to the cabin, I was over there by the par-3 course, and so to see the first six holes change was crazy in what they did in that amount - I think 150 days to change that was crazy.”

The war between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf has been well documented over the past 12 months, with the Tour banning those who jumped ship to LIV from appearing in their tournaments.

It's obviously caused quite a stir, and now, at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, yet more controversy has reared its head when, during the live broadcast on Saturday, a list of past winners of the tournament didn't include Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson and Ian Poulter, players who were previously on the PGA Tour circuit, but now ply their trade in the LIV Golf League.

In the graphic, we see all the winners from 2011 to 2022 but, if you look closely, you can see that 2010, 2017 and 2018 are missing, years when Poulter, Johnson and Watson secured their WGC victories.

Obviously the tweet caused a huge stir on social media, with many from the golf world voicing their distain at the players being left out. One of the individuals was former Major winner, Steve Elkington, who simply stated: "Wonder why they’re doing this… Showing the players' names who won doesn’t affect anything… does it?"

Former coach to Tiger Woods, Hank Haney, was somewhat more blunt with his response, with the 67-year-old calling it "pathetic but not the least bit surprising." It was also a similar story for Greg Norman Jr, the son of LIV Golf CEO, Greg Norman, who tweeted: "Wow. Do they really not realize that these types of moves are actually counter productive to their intended goals by producing the opposite effect of generating more engagement and discussion for LIV and these omitted champions?"

Other people who responded to the news included Telegraph Sport's golf correspondent, James Corrigan, who tweeted: "I think it's ridiculous," whilst many others called the graphic "petty."

Despite this, there is indeed a golf tournament going on and, we must say, the standard of golf on show has been superb. In the standout Quarter Final match on Saturday afternoon, Rory McIlroy overcame Xander Schauffele on the very last hole, with McIlroy posting a 62 and 64 on Saturday to move into the Semi Finals.

Along with the four-time Major winner, World No.1 Scottie Scheffler made it through day four as he looks to defend his title, whilst Cameron Young and Sam Burns continue their rise up the Rankings, with the American duo both getting over the line to make the Semi Finals for the first time in their careers.

With the busy golfing calendar fully underway for 2023, it won't be long until the World's elite head down Magnolia Lane for the first men's Major of the year, The Masters. 

It's a tournament that even the non-golf fan tunes in for, with Augusta National playing host for what should be an enthralling watch, especially this year, with Augusta National chairman, Fred Ridley, confirming recently that invitations will go out to all LIV golfers who have, indeed, qualified.

WHAT IS LIV GOLF?

Obviously, the story of LIV Golf League has been the biggest talking point over the past 18 months and, with the League's players able to take part in the first Major of the year, it has caused many to ask about how they will be received when they tee it up with their PGA Tour counterparts at the start of April.

Tiger Woods, who is a five-time Green Jacket winner, admitted that he doesn't "know what that reaction is going to be", whilst Scottie Scheffler, the defending champion, joked that Bubba Watson, who captains the RangeGoats on the LIV circuit, was "going to have a separate table for him" at the Champions Dinner. Obviously, Scottie was joking about it.

Currently, there are six LIV players who have won The Masters, with one of those being Sergio Garcia, who famously birdied the first playoff hole to break the Major duck. When asked about the Champions Dinner on the Tuesday evening, and whether there would be awkwardness, the Spaniard responded: "I don't know. You'll have to ask whoever is going to feel awkward."

Garcia has arguably been one of the outspoken individuals when it comes to the LIV Golf League, with the 43-year-old falling out with long-time friend, Rory McIlroy, after Garcia joined the Saudi-backed series in June 2022. Later that year, it was reported by The Telegraph that the Spaniard went on a foul mouth rant at the BMW International Open, in which he reportedly shouted, "this Tour (DP World) is s***, you're all f****d." He later denied these allegations.

Speaking at Tucson, the second LIV event of 2023, Garcia revealed that "I'm going to feel fine," in relation to the Champions Dinner, adding "I don't have any problems with anyone, and I try not to make a big deal out of it. I'm going to be there because I earned it, because I deserve it, and I'm going to enjoy it. I hope the rest of the guys do the same."

One previous Masters winner that may feel different is Fred Couples, who recently called Garcia a "clown" in relation to him complaining about the PGA Tour before joining LIV.

When asked about Couples' comments, the 2017 Masters winner simply stated: "I don't know. You'd probably have to ask them. I think, at the end of the day, we are where we want to be. We're happy to be here, and that's the most important thing for us.

"Everyone, what do they say? Everybody has an opinion, the same as the other thing. Obviously everyone is going to talk. At the end of the day, we're very happy where we are. We love the product. You just have to see what's going on out here. So just go and ask them."

The Masters is always the most eagerly-awaited of the four Majors given it’s the first of the year, but with PGA Tour and LIV Golf starts colliding at Augusta National this year it seems even more significant.

All four Majors will allow LIV golfers to play if they fit the qualifying criteria, which means we’ll get the best of the best all competing against each other around one of golf’s most iconic venues.

Some have said that playing in the LIV Golf format, with a 54-hole competition and shotgun start, will be a disadvantage – a theory dismissed by previous Masters champion Phil Mickelson.

Overall, 18 players from LIV Golf have qualified for the 2023 Masters and for some of them the pressure will be on as it could be their last trip down Magnolia Lane for a while.

With LIV Golf still not getting Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points, players who qualified via being in the top 50 at the end of last year will really struggle to get in next year unless something changes.

So, unless they win a Major they otherwise qualify for in the meantime, this year could be their last time playing for that coveted Green Jacket.

That means a huge amount of pressure will be on the nine LIV players who are included in the 2023 Masters field, but could be playing for the last time if they don’t perform well enough.

The players under pressure are Joaquin Niemann, Abraham Ancer, Talor Gooch, Harold Varner III, Jason Kokrak, Kevin Na, Louis Oosthuizen, Thomas Pieters and Mito Pereira.

A way these players can earn a return to the Masters next year is if they bank a top-12 finish at Augusta National in this year’s event – or if they finish in the top four in one of the other three Majors.

Of the other LIV Golf stars – six have won the Masters, so they will be able to play in the event for life – meaning Phil Mickelson, Patrick Reed, Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Bubba Watson and Charl Schwartzel never have to worry about having to qualify again.

Major champions Cameron Smith, Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka get five-year exemptions into all the other Majors so will get invites until 2027, 2025 and 2024 respectively.

Bubba Watson has questioned why golfing authorities are messing with the game when it’s “at an all-time high” while adding to the criticism of the recent plans to rein in the distance golfers can hit the ball.

The R&A and USGA have proposed a Model Local Rule for 2026 where elite players would use different golf balls to recreational golfers.

The proposed bifurcation in the game of golf has largely drawn criticism, and even united the worlds of PGA Tour and LIV Golf, with Justin Thomas and Bryson DeChambeau both against the move.

And big-hitting Watson is also unsurprisingly critical, as he agreed with Thomas and DeChambeau as two of the more vocal opponents.

“I do not like it,” was Watson’s initial response to the proposed rule changes. “There's many reasons, but first off, the commercialism is the one that's paying all these bills for USGA and all these other organizations, and now you're asking them to spend millions to change a ball or design a new ball and do all those things.

“Why? Professional golfers are a small, minute in the game of golf as a whole, so why not make a driver that lets some guy hit it straighter, further. Make a ball that lets a guy or a woman, kid, hit it further.

The two-time Masters champion added that there is still jeopardy involved in hitting the long ball off the tee, so why not let the pros take their chances.

“Just because you hit it further doesn't mean it's going to go straighter. I'm not trying to throw Bryson under the bus, but Bryson tried to do something, he did do it, but he dialed it back a little.

“He still hits it further than everybody but he dialed it back a little because he realized your misses are further - because I've been dealing with that for a while, my misses are further off.”

And adding a new perspective, Watson compared the desire to rein pro golfers in to other sports that celebrate excellence and players pushing the envelope – questioning why golf would want to limit players.

“Going back to the ball, I just don't see the reason why. We're the one sport that's changing what we do, and we get mad when a guy shoots 10-under for three straight days, but we celebrate when a guy scores 50 points or scores three home runs or four home runs, a guy throws seven touchdowns. 

"We celebrate that. We don't make him, hey, you can't throw that many passes the next game, so why are we messing with that.

“The sport is at an all-time high, so let's don't mess with it, let's just keep it growing. That's my short answer.”

Bubba Watson says it will be great to be at the Champions Dinner at the Masters and reunite with his former PGA Tour colleagues – as “when you're wearing the Green Jacket at the dinner, everything goes out the window” so is not fearing any negative atmosphere.

Watson will take his seat at Scottie Scheffler’s Masters Dinner alongside fellow LIV Golf players and former Masters champions Phil Mickelson, Patrick Reed, Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia and Charl Schwartzel.

The split in golf has caused plenty of arguments among players past and present, but Watson believes that when the past champions gather at Augusta National it will be in a friendly atmosphere.

Scheffler even joked that Watson would be sat on his own table in the corner, but Watson says if there’s ever a time to put differences aside, it’s at that iconic venue at the opening Major of the year as part of a very special club.

The two-time Masters champion has no concerns about any possible frosty atmosphere between the two camps when they join together for the Champions Dinner ahead of the Masters.

“I think it's going to be great,” Watson said of the Champions Dinner. “I still talk to guys on the PGA Tour. I still talk to people that work on staff at the PGA Tour. It's been amazing communicating with them.

“I still reach out on their birthdays, reach out at Christmas. We still talk. I still watch and pull for my guys. So I can't wait to get there because when you're wearing the green jacket at the dinner, everything goes out the window.

“You know how blessed you are to be in that room and how thankful you are to be in that room. I've already talked to guys, and we can't wait to hang out because I haven't seen Ted Scott in a while.”

And Watson, a self-confessed fussy eater, gave defending champion and host Scheffler’s menu a big thumbs up, after revealing that he usually eats beforehand in case he doesn’t like the menu.

“I can’t wait for that food. I'll give you a secret, normally I eat before, eat a couple burritos before I go to the dinner because I don't know what they're going to have,” Watson admitted. “I’m very picky when it comes to food.

“But when I saw his menu, definitely want the dessert and I definitely want a couple sliders. So yeah, I can't wait. It'll be fun.”

There are a few players that it may be best are sat apart during the Champions Dinner though, with Fred Couples in particular ripping Mickelson and Garcia in a recent speech.

The 1992 Masters champion called Mickelson a "nutbag" and Garcia a "clown" in his recent outburst, so it would be interesting to be a fly on the wall when they meet again at Augusta.

Tiger Woods was at Augusta National last week for a practice round according to Bob Harig of Sports Illustrated, although popular Twitter account TW Legion has since claimed the report "wasn't accurate".

Nevertheless, according to the original report, Woods played the famous venue on Thursday last week during the Players Championship opening round ahead of his 25th Masters appearance next month.

The 15-time Major champion has won at Augusta five times, including his first and last, to date, Major victories in 1997 and 2019. He also won the Green Jacket in 2001, 2002 and 2005.

He scouted out the course where he made his Major return last year following his LA car crash in February 2021, with Woods making the cut and finishing in 47th place at 13-over-par.

Woods will have seen the newly-extended par 5 13th hole at Augusta last week for the first time, with the famous dogleg-left hole finally being lengthened ahead of this year's tournament. A new tee was built on the iconic par 5, with the yardage increased by 35 yards from 510 to 545 for the 2023 Masters.

It's unknown who Woods played with, although two-time Masters champion - winner in 2012 and 2014 - Bubba Watson was also reportedly at Augusta last Thursday.

Rory McIlroy was said to be on-site on Monday this week, as was defending champion Scottie Scheffler. No pros will be there today as it is reportedly the club's spring jamboree.

It's the second known visit to a 2023 Major venue made by Tiger Woods this year, after he toured Los Angeles Country Club during the week of the Genesis Invitational at Riviera.

Woods was said to have driven the US Open venue's layout in a cart. He missed last year's US Open in preparation for the 150th Open at St Andrews but is expected to play in all four of this year's Majors.

The PGA Championship in May takes place at Oak Hill Country Club in New York, with the Open Championship returning to Royal Liverpool Golf Club in July, scene of Woods' 2006 triumph when he won his third Claret Jug. 

This year's Masters is set to be one of the most anticipated in memory, with PGA and DP World Tour stars facing off against LIV Golf players for the first time since July's Open Championship.

A total of 16 LIV players will be in the Masters field, including past Masters champions Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson, Patrick Reed and Sergio Garcia as well as Major champions Cameron Smith, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau.

One of the world’s exclusive tournaments, the Seminole Pro-Member, takes place in its traditional slot the Monday after the Honda Classic, and, like last year, it features more big-name players than the PGA Tour event.

Popular Twitter account The Fried Egg shared the field for this year’s tournament, taking place at Florida’s Seminole Golf Club, one of the best golf courses in Florida. It includes 12 the world’s top 20 male players. That’s nine more than this week’s tournament at PGA National.

World No.4 Patrick Cantlay returns to defend the trophy he won last year. Meanwhile, there is also an appearance from Jon Rahm, who reclaimed the World No.1 position following his win in the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club last week. World No.3 Rory McIlroy is competing too, alongside his dad, Gerry, while other members of the world’s top 10 are Xander Schauffele, Max Homa and Justin Thomas.

That's not all, though. More notable names in the field include World No.12 Tony Finau and US Open champion, World No.13 Matt Fitzpatrick, while the three members of the world’s top 20 appearing in this week’s Honda Classic also appear – Sungjae Im, Billy Horschel and Shane Lowry. Cameron Young completes the list of players in the world's top 20 competing.

As well as some of the best present-day players, veterans including Ernie Els, Jim Furyk and captain of the 2022 Presidents Cup International team, Trevor Immelman, participate too.

It’s not just the world’s best men’s players that are represented either. The Honda LPGA Thailand boasted a field with nine of the world top-10 players, with the only absentee being World No.6 Lexi Thompson. After skipping the event at Siam Country Club, she instead tees it up in Florida the day after the LPGA Tour event concluded.

Away from golf, other high-profile figures in the field include businessman Stan Drunkenmiller and NFL legend Tom Brady.

Notable absentees include LIV Golf players, who have not been invited to the two-person team event. So, there’s no room for the likes of Dustin Johnson, Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia, Bubba Watson and Louis Oosthuizen, who all competed in 2022.

For the PGA Tour players, the one-day tournament will act as the perfect preparation for another elevated event, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, which starts on Thursday at Bay Hill.

LIV Golf has confirmed the line-ups for its remaining four teams just days before the new 14-tournament League begins at El Camaleon Golf Club in Mexico, and with it four new signings.

As had been reported over recent days, Thomas Pieters is the biggest new signing joining last week’s confirmations that Mito Pereira and Sebastian Munoz had moved to the circuit. The World No.35 will be on Bubba Watson's Range Goats GC, with Harold Varner III and Talor Gooch making up the four. 

Other players signing for LIV Golf are South African PGA Tour rookie Dean Burmester, New Zealander Danny Lee and American Brendan Steele. Confirmation of the latter's involvement marks a significant U-turn on his part considering in December he declared he was not interested in joining the organisation. 

Steele joins after winning three times on the PGA Tour, most recently in 2017’s Safeway Open. The 39-year old will play on Phil Mickelson's all-American Hy Flyers GC along with Cameron Tringale and James Piot after Bernd Wiesberger and Matthew Wolfe made way. 

As for Pieters, there have been indications the DP World Tour pro was becoming disgruntled with the PGA Tour. Last week, he aired his frustration on his failure to qualify for the Genesis Invitational despite his relatively high world ranking.

Pieters described the tournament as his favourite, but it is likely he won’t be appearing on it for the foreseeable future considering his move and subsequent suspension from PGA Tour events. Where he fits into the DP World Tour’s plans is still uncertain. However, the outcome of an arbitration hearing to determine the future of LIV Golf players on the tour is expected in the coming weeks.

Burmester only earned his PGA Tour card for this season before making the decision to defect to the rebel circuit. Since becoming a regular on the Tour, he has had one top-10 finish, in the Sanderson Farms Championship last October. Burmester will play for Louis Oosthuizen's all-South African Stinger GC, which also features Branden Grace and Charl Schwartzel. 

Lee has one PGA Tour victory, the 2015 Greenbrier Classic. He will hope to repeat that success at the course this year, which is now a LIV Golf venue. He joins Iron Heads GC alongside captain Kevin Na, Sihwan Kim and Scott Vincent.

All four signings come as a timely boost to LIV Golf after it was dealt a blow with the news that one of its 2022 regulars, Hudson Swafford, will be out for six months due to hip surgery.

Phil Mickelson is set to unveil a new-look LIV Golf team on Friday, with Bernd Wiesberger and Matthew Wolff leaving his Hy Flyers quartet.

The Hy Flyers finished the inaugural season with a line-up of Mickelson, Wiesberger, Wolff and Cameron Tringale, but both Wiesberger and Wolff are no longer part of the team.

Wiesberger has joined Martin Kaymer's Cleeks GC, replacing Laurie Canter, while Matthew Wolff has joined Brooks Koepka's Smash GC, replacing Peter Uihlein.

A total of eight teams have been confirmed for the LIV Golf League that starts next week, with Mickelson's Hy Flyers set to be unveiled on Friday along with Kevin Na's Iron Heads, Bubba Watson's Range GOATs and Louis Oosthuizen's Stinger.

Oosthuizen is reportedly adding a new member to the side in the form of two-time DP World Tour winner and PGA Tour rookie Dean Burmester. The South African is said to be joining his countryman's side according to The Times.

If the report is true, Burmester would be at least the third new signing for LIV in 2023 after South Americans Mito Pereira and Sebastian Munoz were unveiled as part of Joaquin Niemann's Torque GC team.

Journalist Matias Miguel Torge has also reported that Danny Lee could be joining LIV.

It's unclear as to whether Mickelson will unveil brand new signings to his team or whether other LIV players from last year will join up. As things stand, the likes of Talor Gooch, Laurie Canter, Scott Vincent, Wade Ormsby and Adrian Otaegui have been replaced on their teams so could fill the vacant spots. We'll find out the full LIV roster on Friday.

LIV Golf Teams announced so far...

Torque

• Joaquin Niemann (c)
• Sebastian Munoz
• Mito Pereira
• David Puig

4 Aces

• Dustin Johnson (c)
• Patrick Reed
• Pat Perez
• Peter Uihlein

Smash

• Brooks Koepka
• Chase Koepka
• Jason Kokrak
• Matthew Wolff

Majesticks

• Ian Poulter (co-captain)
• Henrik Stenson (co-captain)
• Lee Westwood (co-captain)
• Sam Horsfield

Crushers

• Bryson DeChambeau (c)
• Paul Casey
• Charles Howell III
• Anirban Lahiri

Cleeks

• Martin Kaymer (c)
• Bernd Wiesberger
• Graeme McDowell
• Richard Bland

Fireballs

• Sergio Garcia (c)
• Abraham Ancer
• Carlos Ortiz
• Eugenio Chacarra

Ripper

• Cameron Smith (c)
• Marc Leishman
• Matt Jones
• Jed Morgan

Always known for its raucous atmosphere, the PGA Tour travels south to Scottsdale, Arizona for the Waste Management Phoenix Open. The most notable change this year in the desert is the event’s promotion to an elevated status tournament. The field of 132 will now be competing for a $20-million dollar purse, with a whopping $3.6 million going to the winner.

While this tournament always delivers a strong field, this year features its best yet as 22 of the top-25 players in the world will be in attendance at TPC Scottsdale on Super Bowl weekend. Scottie Scheffler returns to defend his title, and he is joined by the likes of Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas, Xander Schauffele, Tom Kim, Collin Morikawa, Tony Finau, Patrick Cantlay, Max Homa, Jordan Spieth, Viktor Hovland, and Matt Fitzpatrick, among others. The Waste Management Phoenix Open is the first full-field event of the year where we have all of game’s best competing in the same tournament, and it is sure to provide plenty of fireworks.

Waste Management Phoenix Open Course Preview

TPC Scottsdale

While TPC Scottsdale is most known for a singular hole, the par-three stadium-style 16th, the entire course provides plenty of drama at every turn. Designed in 1986 by Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish, TPC Scottsdale plays as a par 71, tipping out to 7,261 yards on the scorecard. Situated at an approximate elevation of 1,530 feet above sea level, the course plays far shorter than the scorecard suggests.

Last year, players averaged 311.3 yards off the tee, good for the longest driving distance on par fours and par fives on the entire PGA Tour. Despite featuring its fair share of trouble off the tee, aggressive play is rewarded here, and we will see players bomb away with driver often. It should not come as a surprise that elite drivers of the ball, such as Scottie Scheffler, Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm, Xander Schauffele, Gary Woodland, and Bubba Watson, among others, have experienced so much success at the Weiskopf and Morrish design.

While power always helps, accuracy is of far more importance at TPC Scottsdale, and it will be essential to keep the ball in play off the tee at a course that ranked fifth out of 38 courses last year in penalty strokes per round. A ball-striker’s track through and through, I will be looking to identify elite drivers of the ball, who can generate scoring opportunities at a high clip and have experienced their fair share of success at other TPC style venues.

Waste Management Phoenix Open Key Stats

• Opportunities Gained
• Good Drive Percentage
• Strokes Gained Total: TPC Scottsdale (Course History) list

Waste Management Phoenix Open Picks and Predictions: Outright Winner

Tony Finau (+2500) (Bet $100 to collect $2,600) Back Tony Finau at DraftKings now to get the best odds

I was extremely surprised to see Tony Finau open up at such a high number given his recent play. The World No. 12 will be going for his fourth win in 10 starts. Finau rates out as the No. 1 overall player in this field in the key metrics that I am looking at.

Pound for pound, he remains one of the best drivers of the ball in the world, and I trust his ability to keep the ball out of the desert. His iron play is just as strong, as the 33-year-old ranks sixth in this field in strokes gained approach across his last 36 rounds of play. Coming off a 9th-place finish at the Farmers Insurance Open where he gained 3.6 strokes both off the tee and on approach through three rounds at Torrey Pines South Course, I expect the six-time PGA Tour winner to find himself firmly in the mix come Super Bowl Sunday in Scottsdale.

Sungjae Im (+3500) (Bet $100 to collect $3,600) Follow this WM Phoenix Open pick and get the best odds at DraftKings

Despite failing to find the winner’s circle, Sungjae Im is playing some of the best golf of his young career. The World No. 18 is coming off a fourth-place finish at the Farmers Insurance Open where he gained seven strokes on approach, two strokes around the green, and 5.5 strokes with the flat-stick through 3 rounds at Torrey Pines South Course. This was the best approach week of Im’s career, and he now travels to a course where he has already recorded two top-20 finishes in three starts.

While the sample size is limited, the 24-year-old has never gained less than 1.5 strokes ball-striking, nor lost strokes putting at TPC Scottsdale. The two-time PGA Tour winner features the exact well-rounded skillset that I am looking for this week, and his most recent PGA Tour victory came at another desert TPC course where keeping the ball in play off the tee and short to middle iron play is of great importance. This will be the week that Im announces himself as one of the best players in the world.

Bubba Watson says he will beg PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan to let him play in the PNC Championship when he sees him at Augusta National during The Masters.

The LIV Golf player, who has been out injured since last May’s PGA Championship, returns to action in this week’s Saudi International on the Asian Tour. Before teeing it up at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club, though, his thoughts turned to the unofficial PGA Tour Champions event in December.

Like other LIV Golf players, Watson is suspended by the PGA Tour after joining its bitter rival. However, the 44-year-old hopes Monahan will make an exception for the family orientated event. He said: “My son, like I said, he doesn't play golf, but now his whole goal was - I'll put this out there, his whole goal was to play in the PNC, which is the parent-junior, and now I'm not allowed to play in it. As soon as I see Jay Monahan - if Jay Monahan is watching this, I'll see you at Augusta and I'll try to beg you to let us play the PNC again.”

Despite its more relaxed nature, the PNC Championship still offers prize money. However, that’s something Watson says is not a motivation for playing in the tournament. He said: “I never took a dollar for the PNC. I've played in the PNC twice. My dad is passed away, so I played with my father-in-law, I gave it all to a children's hospital. It wasn't about money for me. This is about helping. This is about maybe one day being able to play with my son. It's a cool tournament, and my son was kind of disappointed that he knows we're not going to play in that.”

Watson also explained that he was grateful that he would be able to compete in this year’s Masters - another tournament he likes to involve his children in. He revealed his son would caddie for him at Augusta National but, because the LIV Golf schedule has a tournament in Orlando the week before, he will miss two events in the build-up to the first Major of the year that are close to his heart.

He said: “I was very thankful that we get to go back to the Masters. Then LIV announced their schedule, so I won't be able to go to the women's tournament or the Drive, Chip & Putt with the kids because we'll be in Orlando. But it's one year, I'm going to definitely be in the ears of people at LIV and try to see if I can get back there because I want to support what the Masters means to the game of golf, what the membership of Augusta means to the game of golf, and I would love to be there for the Women's Amateur and the kids on Sunday.”

Last August, Watson revealed that he’d had to tell his children he would miss their favourite tournament on PGA Tour, The Travelers Championship. He also said: “I told my kids that there is a chance, there is a possibility, that we can't go to Augusta. And I told them, if they tell me that I can't go, being a past champion, then I don't want to be there.”

Thankfully for Watson, that threat has been lifted at least for the time being. Whether he will be able to persuade Monahan to allow him to compete in the PNC Championship later in the year could be another battle.

Bubba Watson is back in action after eight months out with a knee injury just in time to finally make his playing debut in LIV Golf at the start of their second season next month.

Watson had surgery to repair a torn meniscus but after battling through his recovery, he will now be ready to tee it up at next week's Asian Tour season opener at the PIF Saudi International.

The two-time Masters champion will then be able to return to action in the newly re-branded LIV Golf League as it begins a second season at Mayakoba.

Watson last played competitively at the PGA Championship in May, before joining LIV Golf as a non-playing captain of the Niblicks GC.

He was also deployed out onto the course to use his personality as an on-course reporter during the final five events of the inaugural LIV Golf season, but now wants to swap the microphone for his golf clubs.

Watson had surgery in June, and has slowly been working his way back to full speed ever since, and though he's now able to return to action, his leg still hasn't fully recovered.

“I’m still trying to build that leg muscle up,” Watson said. “I wouldn’t say I’m 100% on the leg muscle being equal (to his left). But I’m really close. I’ll say we’re 10, 15% off one leg to the other. I’m walking fine, no pain. It’s now trusting that I can really finish on that leg. 

“There’s going to be a few swings here and there where you just kind of revert back to old thoughts. So it’s like anything. It’s almost like teaching yourself to swing again or hit again. Now it’s all on me.”

Watson said his golfing return got off to a winning start, saying: "I just beat my caddie and my wife. So I got that going for me."

And after having to commentate on Patrick Reed helping his 4 Aces GC win the Team Championship in Miami, Watson is more than happy to get back to being back on the playing side of things.

“Knowing Patrick over these years and being able to see his excitement for that, it made me want to do it. Made me want to go home and grind so I can have that chance to pull of something like that for my team," Watson said. 

"This is why we joined LIV, for the team aspect. I’m anxious to get back with the team and try to pull off amazing shots.

"I’d rather miss a 3-footer than have to come up with words to talk about golf."

Seminole, one of the best golf courses in Florida, has taken sides in the LIV Golf and PGA Tour saga by banning LIV players from February’s popular Pro-Member tournament.

The tournament is held on the Monday after the Honda Classic, at nearby PGA National, has finished, and usually attracts a decent field of Tour pros leading to the Pro-Member field looking almost like a regular tournament.

Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas all played in the 2022 edition, with more than a dozen players who later signed with LIV Golf also taking part.

However, Golfweek broke the news that the club has said that all of those LIV golfers would not now be welcome to play in the 2023 Pro-Member event which takes place on the 27th February.

Long-time Seminole president Jimmy Dunne made the decision based on the event being linked to the PGA Tour – who have suspended players who have joined LIV, with some of these also resigning their membership.

“We are doing what we have always done,” Dunne told Golfweek on Thursday. “PGA Tour players get the first priority. This event has always been supported by the PGA Tour. We try to make this a special and unique day for Tour players.”

Dunne played with Dustin Johnson last year and has previously played alongside Phil Mickelson in the two-player team event, but Dunne has recently been appointed to the PGA Tour board so his loyalty must now lie with them.

Sergio Garcia, Bryson DeChambeau, Ian Poulter and Bubba Watson all played last year, along with Louis Oosthuizen who played with seven-time Super Bowl champion and NFL legend Tom Brady as one of the star non-pro golfers in the field.

Dunne says he still has good relationships with many of the players who will not be included in the field this year, but insists that making the decision to join LIV Golf was the blame.

“Candidly, I have a pretty good relationship with most people,” Dunne said. “These guys had a choice to make, but they’ve made it. That’s it. I’m not going to say something nasty about guys who participated in the past.”

The Saudi International returns for its fifth outing at Jeddah's Royal Greens Golf & Country Club, and, as in the previous four years, some of the world’s best players are in the field.

The tournament is sponsored by the kingdom’s Public Investment Fund – the same organisation that bankrolls LIV Golf. Last year, some of the PGA Tour players in the field offered an indication as to who would sign for its bitter rival. Among those was the eventual winner of the tournament, Harold Varner III and two of LIV Golf’s highest-profile initial signings, Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson. All three are also in the field this year.

As well as 2022 victor Varner III, who holed an incredible eagle putt of 92ft to clinch the trophy, and Johnson, who won the tournament in 2019 and 2021, another player who would eventually join LIV Golf, 2020 winner Graeme McDowell, also appears. 

The highest-ranked player this year is World No.3 Cameron Smith, who also joined LIV Golf last August. Other players on the Saudi-funded circuit who are appearing include Smith’s compatriot Marc Leishman, Mexican-American Abraham Ancer, and 2020 US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau. Four-time Major winner Brooks Koepka and two-time Masters winner Bubba Watson, who Varner III edged out by one shot last year, also play. 

Henrik Stenson, who was stripped of the Ryder Cup captaincy when he defected to LIV Golf, also plays, as do former World No.1 Lee Westwood and Ryder Cup legend Ian Poulter, who were part of the the Greg Norman-fronted organisation’s original intake of players. The LIV associations don’t end there - another high-profile signing was 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed, and he also tees it up. Spaniard Sergio Garcia, who claimed victory at Augusta National the year before Reed, and Englishman Paul Casey, are two other big-name LIV Golf players appearing.

Recently it was reported that Cameron Young is among the PGA Tour players being lined up for this year’s Saudi International, along with Lucas Herbert and Cameron Champ, and all three are confirmed in the field. 

Overall, the field features all 48 players who competed in LIV Golf's season-closing Team Championship in 2022, while there are appearances from other players who competed in its tournaments through the inaugural season. In total, almost half of the 126-man field will comprise players who competed for LIV Golf last year. 

As well as the event's $5 million prize purse, an added incentive for LIV Golf players is the availability of Official World Golf Ranking points in the tournament. The winner is projected to receive 26 ranking points - a potentially valuable haul given LIV Golf’s ineligibility to offer its players points.

The final line-up for the 2023 Saudi International is to be confirmed, but below is the list of players committed to appearing so far.

Saudi International Prize Money 2023

Saudi International Field 2023

• Issa Abouelela
• Shergo Al Kurdi
• Othman Ibrahim Almulla
• Saud Alsharif
• Abraham Ancer
• Kiradech Aphibarnrat
• Gaganjeet Bhullar
• Richard Bland
• Danthai Boonma
• Baha Boulakmine
• Adam Bresnu
• Itthipat Buranatanyarat
• Laurie Canter
• Miguel Carballo
• Paul Casey
• Filippo Celli
• Eugenio Chacarra
• Cameron Champ
• Ervin Chang
• Yikeun Chang
• Ratchanon Chantananuwat
• Matthew Cheung
• Bryson DeChambeau
• Taylor Dickson
• Louis James Dobbelaar
• Andrew Dodt
• Hennie Du Plessis
• El Mehdi Fakori
• Oliver Fisher
• Sergio Garcia
• Talor Gooch
• Branden Grace
• Oihan Guillamoundeguy
• Kosuke Hamamoto
• Justin Harding
• Scott Hend
• Berry Henson
• Lucas Herbert
• Sam Horsfield
• Rikuya Hoshino
• Tomoyo Ikemura
• Yuki Inamori
• Aguri Iwasaki
• Hiroshi Iwata
• Jazz Janewattananond
• Dustin Johnson
• Matt Jones
• Sadom Kaewkanjana
• Tirawat Kaewsiribandit
• Takumi Kanaya
• Shiv Kapur
• Rashid Khan
• Phachara Khongwatmai
• Matt Killen
• Bio Kim
• Sihwan Kim
• Yeongsu Kim
• Minkyu Kim
• Ryosuke Kinoshita
• Brooks Koepka
• Chase Koepka
• Jason Kokrak
• Jinichiro Kozuma
• Jbe Kruger
• Anirban Lahiri
• Richard Lee
• Taehee Lee
• Marc Leishman
• Tom Lewis
• Steve Lewton
• Stefano Mazzoli
• Graeme McDowell
• Phil Mickelson
• Kyongjun Moon
• Jediah Morgan
• Sebastian Munoz
• Zach Murray
• Kevin Na
• Joaquin Niemann
• Andy Ogletree
• Taehoon Ok
• Louis Oosthuizen
• Wade Ormsby
• Carlos Ortiz
• Sanghyun Park
• Mito Pereira
• Pat Perez
• Turk Pettit
• James Piot
• Ian Poulter
• David Puig
• Angelo Que
• Naraajie Ramadhanputra
• Patrick Reed
• Quinn Riley
• Faisal Salhab
• Ajeetesh Sandhu
• Charl Schwartzel
• Shubhankar Sharma
• Chan Shih-chang
• Trevor Simsby
• Todd Sinnott
• Cameron Smith
• Travis Smyth
• Ian Snyman
• Henrik Stenson
• Sarit Suwannarut
• Hudson Swafford
• Pavit Tangkamolprasert
• Hideto Tanihara
• Nitithorn Thippong
• Jack Thompson
• Jarin Todd
• Cameron Tringale
• Peter Uihlein
• Harold Varner III
• Scott Vincent
• Rattanon Wannasrichan
• Bubba Watson
• Ding Wenyi
• Lee Westwood
• Bernd Wiesberger
• Matthew Wolff
• Suradit Yongcharoenchai
• Cameron Young
• Kevin Yuan

Jordan Spieth's resume is seriously impressive! A three-time Major winner, he has featured multiple times in the Ryder Cup, and is also a former World No.1 a feat he has held for a total of 26 weeks.

Currently a 13-time PGA Tour champion, he was the PGA Tour leading money winner in 2014-15, an historic season which saw him claim two Major trophies and the season-ending FedEx Cup. Here, we take a look at Spieth's network.

VIDEO: THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT JORDAN SPIETH

Because of his success, Spieth sits comfortably inside the top-10 of the PGA Tour's career money list, with career earnings of nearly $60 million. We should mention that we do not think this includes his bonus money for winning the 2015 FedEx Cup, which would add yet another $10m onto his total.

Spieth has been one of the biggest names in American sports for a number of years and, despite what can best be described as some struggles on the golf course, he was still ranked 52nd on a list of the world's highest-paid athletes by Forbes in 2020. He did drop off the list in 2021 however, but it is reported that his total net worth is around $110 million.

Such is Spieth's figure within sport that, in 2017, he became one of the very few golfers to appear on the iconic Wheaties cereal box, so that gives you some idea of his cultural impact in the United States. Just some of the other big names include Babe Zaharias, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.

Because of his success, Spieth has huge sponsors, the biggest of which is Under Armour. Over 10 years ago, in January 2013, the brand made Spieth, then a 19-year-old, the face of the company's golf branch. 

Then, in January 2015, Under Armour scrapped the final two years of that deal and gave Spieth a new 10-year contract. Initially the company wanted a 25-year contract! The deal guarantees that Spieth will wear Under Armour gear from head to toe and, whilst financial terms were not disclosed to the public, we believe there were performance-based incentives.

According to reports at the time, the deal was said to include 'Tiger-like' numbers which suggests Spieth could be making a lot from the partnership. Reportedly, it also included an eight-figure guarantee annually, bonus benchmarks (for things like winning a Major), stock options and a signature line of clothing.

Another longtime sponsor of Spieth's is AT&T, which has been on the American's bag for some time now. According to his website, just some of the other endorsements are with Rolex, Brightspot and Netjets. 

There are also recently formed partnerships with FanDuel, a gambling company, and LivPur Nutrition, with Spieth stating that: "LivPur is an important part of my routine because I can rely on it to help me stay focused and know it will provide an extra boost of energy when I need it most. I trust the LivPur product and ingredients to keep me hydrated and performing at my best."

Spieth also has a partnership with Full Swing and he actually uses a Full Swing Pro series golf simulator in his home. This is, in fact, the same model used by Tiger Woods. Other people to have one installed in their homes are Justin Rose, Gary Woodland and NBA All-Star Steph Curry.

When it comes to golf equipment, Spieth has used Titleist for a long time and this is throughout the bag, from driver down to the golf ball. This doesn't look like changing any time soon.

Augusta National has decided to allow LIV Golfers to play in the 2023 Masters and, whilst it's huge news to get the confirmation, it comes as no real surprise.

The Masters has the phrase 'a tradition like no other' and one of its greatest traditions is that winning the Green Jacket gets you an invite back each and every year. It's why we continue to see the likes of Fred Couples, Bernhard Langer, Larry Mize and Sandy Lyle return year after year, with legendary Masters champions like Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson acting as honorary starters. 

Fred Ridley clearly does not like LIV Golf and what it has done to the sport in 2022, and that came across loud and clear in his statement. "Regrettably, recent actions have divided men’s professional golf by diminishing the virtues of the game and the meaningful legacies of those who built it," he said when confirming that LIV players will be able to play in the 2023 tournament.

But whilst Augusta works with the other major stakeholders in the game, like the R&A, USGA, PGA Tour, PGA of America, DP World Tour and the International Federation of PGA Tours, it has to recognise that LIV is home to a number of its past champions.

Who could imagine Phil Mickelson never returning to Augusta National? And other past champions like Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Bubba Watson, Sergio Garcia and Charl Schwartzel not being invited back?

They've all won Masters, Bubba Watson has won two and Phil Mickelson has won three, and hosted Champions Dinners on the Tuesday of tournament week as defending champions. They won their Masters on the proviso that they'd be coming back for the rest of their careers, and it would have been an almighty decision to strip them of that.

Other big names who have won Majors in recent years or qualified via the top 50 have also earned their way in. Cameron Smith, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau and a number of others fall into this criteria.

A Masters without some of its recent past champions and LIV players who earned their way in would be a weaker Masters, and Fred Ridley knows this.

Instead, golf fans will now be able to watch the best of LIV, the Smiths, Johnsons, Dechambeaus and Koepkas up against the best of the PGA and DP World Tours. McIlroy, Scheffler, Rahm, Morikawa and co.

Whether you like it or not, LIV is home to some of the most entertaining and best golfers on the planet. A Masters without Cameron Smith, Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau is not what anyone wants.

This will be the first time we'll see LIV and PGA Tour stars teeing it up in the same field since July's Open, and it'll be nine months by the time Nicklaus, Player and Watson hit their ceremonial tee shots on Thursday morning of the April 6th.

I for one cannot wait, and no matter what side of the LIV vs PGA Tour civil war you're on, or if you're a neutral, I'm sure you'll be just as excited as I am.