Bubba Watson is the latest golfer to leave the PGA Tour for the Saudi-backed LIV Golf tournament, the two-time major champion announced Friday at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey. Watson will join a growing list of stars who are leaving for the rival’s tour, the biggest of which include Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson.
Due to injury, Watson will serve as off-court captain for the first time and a live character at the LIV Golf Invitational event in Boston on September 2-4. He is likely to take part in a slot. play in 2023, as he is expected to be ready to hit the ball by mid-October.
“Bubba Watson is a huge addition to LIV Golf – another major champion joining the growing list of stars on our teams. His game combines power, change, and innovation. and the excitement that the LIV Golf brand stands for,” said Greg Norman, CEO and commissioner of LIV Golf. “He is a risk-taker who has cemented his name among the best in the world and we look forward to him coming on board to bring new energy and audiences to this tournament. .”
Watson’s compensation is said to be “in excess of $50 million,” according to walkie talkie, and he is expected to be named captain of one of the league’s 12 teams. Recent LIV announced it has permanently placed 12 teams out of four as part of a 48-player field for the 2023 season. Teams are currently changing events to events, but they will now be booked ahead of next season and kept in place for all 14 events. .
While his move to LIV may have come as a surprise, it was rumored for weeks after the tournament featured – then deleted – Watson in social media promotional material. meeting earlier this year. The move is likely to prevent him from participating in future PGA Tour events, as league commissioner Jay Monahan has announced that LIV-bound players are ineligible indefinitely to compete in the tournament. PGA Tour.
Watson, 43, slipped to 86th in the Official World Golf Rankings after missing both the US Open and the Open Championship while hitting back with a meniscus tear. He’s only had a top 10 finish at a major tournament (Masters 2018) since taking home his second blue jacket back in 2014. He’s also won. masters in 2012.
Despite the growth of LIV Golf, the PGA Tour has been able to retain a large pool of its top talent, including every player in the top 10 in the latest Official World Golf Rankings. However, Watson’s experience as a former major champion and one of the most recognizable names on the Tour is a notable loss. He, as Daniel Rapaport of Golf Digest notes, one of the top players in the PGA Tour’s Player Impact Program, aims to retain the tournament’s top talent by offering out-of-pocket compensation for events, to go to LIV Golf.
