When LIV golf players participated in the Masters, a war of nerves went back and forth between the players even before the tournament.
US Golf Week reported on the 5th (Korean time), “Scotty Scheffler (USA) saw Bubba Watson (USA) on vacation and talked about the Masters and LIV golf,” and reported jokes between the players.
Schaeffler ran into Watson, who was vacationing with his wife in Hawaii ahead of the first tournament of the new year, the Sentry Tournament of Champions. As the defending Masters champion, Schaeffler will, in keeping with tradition, prepare a Champions Dinner at this year’s Masters.
“There will be a table set aside in a corner by myself at the Masters Champions Dinner,” he told Watson. Watson, who won the Masters in 2012 and 2014, joined LIV Golf last year.
Schaeffler talked about this at the tournament press conference and laughed, saying, “I haven’t seen many LIV golf players,” and “It was just a joke between us.” John Rahm (Spain) also laughed at this, saying, “The Masters Champions Dinner will be a little more tense than in the past.”
Unlike the PGA Tour, which banned all LIV golf players from participating, major tournaments have not yet been bolted. Augusta National Golf Club, which hosts the Masters, sent out invitations to eligible players last month, saying that it would not block LIV golf players from participating. 메이저놀이터
Among players who have left the PGA Tour, those who can compete in the Masters now include Watson, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Phil Mickelson (USA), Sergio Garcia (Spain), and Charles Schwartzel (South Africa).
One of the hot topics in the golf world last year was definitely LIV Golf. LIV Golf, which had only been rumored for several years, created a league with Saudi Arabian capital on its back. Some of the world’s top players, such as Cameron Smith (Australia) and Johnson, have joined LIV Golf.
The PGA Tour, conscious of LIV Golf, increased the total prize money of the tournament and developed the Player Impact Program (PIP) to add bonus prize money to star players. Due to these changes, some players say that LIV Golf has brought about changes in the PGA Tour.
“I just think it will take some time and things will get better,” Schaeffler said.