Ex-Masters champ Bubba Watson critical of LIV Golf’s format change, prefers ‘chaos’
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Bubba Watson ahead of the April 28-30, 2023 LIV Golf event at Sentosa Golf Club.
PHOTO: ST FILE
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LOS ANGELES – Bubba Watson prefers tighter, more chaotic finishes to golf tournaments, so he is against LIV Golf’s move from 54 to 72 holes for every event this upcoming season.
The American, a two-time Masters champion, argued in a recent interview against the format change announced in November. The captain of LIV’s RangeGoats GC team told Mirror US Sports that more holes means a greater likelihood of a runaway winner and less interest for fans.
“I think we should go three days,” said the 47-year-old. “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?”
Watson added: “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.”
While 54 holes was an initial distinction of the upstart LIV circuit from its rival PGA Tour – and the number is embedded in its very name in Roman numerals – expanding to 72 holes could better serve the players.
The Official World Golf Ranking does not recognise LIV results in calculating points, resulting in its players losing status and having greater difficulty qualifying for Major championships.
Watson is critical of the decision but supportive of five-time Major champion Brooks Koepka’s recent defection from LIV Golf and reinstatement to the PGA Tour for 2026 under its Returning Member Programme.
“The league’s in a great spot,” he said. “One person’s not going to dictate what the league’s doing.
“The beauty is, though, now (Koepka) gets to spend more time with his family – that’s what he wants,” he continued. “And so that’s good, that’s great for him. As a friend, I hope he has a great time. It’s great that he’s still playing professional golf. LIV has always been about pathways to play other tours, so it’s great.”
RangeGoats GC re-signed Ben Campbell, Peter Uihlein and Matthew Wolff earlier in January, ensuring Watson’s team will remain intact for the upcoming LIV Golf season.
The quartet combined to finish 10th in the 2025 team championship standings as Watson settled for No. 11 in the individual points race. Campbell was the circuit’s No. 36 golfer in 2025, Uihlein placed No. 38 and Wolff, who missed two events with a back injury, was No. 42.
Watson achieved RangeGoats’ best performance in 2025 with his runner-up finish at LIV Golf United Kingdom.
A 12-time PGA Tour winner, Watson was the Masters champion in 2012 and 2014 and defected to LIV as a non-playing team captain when the rival tour materialised in 2022. He returned to the course in the 2023 season.
The new LIV campaign opens Feb 4 to 7 at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The PGA Tour, meanwhile, ended its first official tournament of the 2026 season on Jan 18.
Chris Gotterup fired a six-under 64 to surge to victory in the season-opening Sony Open in Hawaii.
The 26-year-old American, who started the final round at Honolulu’s Waialae Country Club two shots off the pace, reeled off seven birdies and only one bogey to claim the third win of his career.
He finished on 16-under 264, two shots clear of compatriot Ryan Gerard, who carded a closing 65. REUTERS, AFP
