The ongoing feud between the PGA Tour and the LIV Golf Series has caused turmoil in the world of golf, but two past Masters champions, Patrick Reed and Bubba Watson, do not expect any animosity when players from both circuits tee it up at Augusta National next week. The LIV Golf Series, which is bankrolled by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, has been in litigation with the PGA Tour since several LIV players filed federal antitrust lawsuits in August 2022.
Although LIV players remain banned from PGA Tour events, Augusta will open its doors to LIV’s biggest names from April 6-9. Reed and Watson are among the six golfers who qualified with a lifetime exemption as past winners of the tournament.
The storylines leading up to the event will undoubtedly center around the LIV versus PGA Tour controversy, but Reed believes that when it comes to major tournaments, the top players in the world will go head-to-head regardless of their tour affiliations. For him, it will be business as usual. He did express a desire to see LIV players perform well at the event, however.
Watson, who has won the Masters twice before, said that criticism from Rory McIlroy, one of the most vocal opponents of the LIV Series, was not surprising. He believes that McIlroy is protecting his business interests and that the awkwardness surrounding the situation is mostly confined to the media. Watson has already been approached by some LIV players for practice rounds.
Brooks Koepka, a four-time major winner who is eligible for the Masters due to his 2019 PGA Championship victory, was recently seen with PGA Tour players McIlroy and Justin Thomas in Florida. He stated that they see each other often and that there is no personal animosity between them.
In summary, while the PGA Tour and LIV Golf Series feud has created turmoil in the world of golf, past Masters champions Patrick Reed and Bubba Watson do not expect any issues between players from both circuits when they tee it up at Augusta National. They believe that when it comes to major tournaments, the top players in the world will compete against each other regardless of tour affiliation. The awkwardness surrounding the situation is mostly limited to the media, and there is no personal animosity between players.
