Fan favourite Watson to play in LIV next year

NEW YORK • Two-time Masters winner Bubba Watson confirmed his move to Saudi-backed LIV Golf on Friday, as marquee recruit Henrik Stenson snagged a share of the first-round lead on his debut.

Former world No. 2 Watson, who is currently ranked 86th, has been sidelined since May and said he would not actually play on the fledgling circuit until next year as he continues to recover from surgery on his right knee.

"So I should be 100 per cent in the next couple of months," he said in an interview during the live stream of Friday's first round of the LIV Golf event at Trump National in Bedminster, New Jersey.

"I'm good now, it's just now getting the leg to loosen up so I can hit the shots full-bore."

Although he claimed the most recent of his 12 PGA Tour titles four years ago, the 43-year-old American remains a fan favourite and is another former Major winner to make the leap to the lucrative series that has roiled the golf world.

Sweden's Stenson was stripped of the European Ryder Cup captaincy last week after confirming his defection to LIV Golf.

The Swede birdied his last two holes in a seven-under 64 effort at Bedminster, where he shared the first-round lead with former Masters champion Patrick Reed.

"I have to be extremely pleased with my focus," Stenson said after a round that featured eight birdies.

"It's been pretty busy the last 10 days, so to come out and be able to focus on the golf as well as I did today - I'm very happy with that."

LIV Golf has sparked the ire of both the DP World Tour and the PGA Tour, luring golfers with US$20 million (S$27.6 million) purses for its 54-hole, shotgun start events and millions in appearance fees for some star names.

The third event of its inaugural season again sparked protests, with families of the 9/11 attacks slamming the enterprise funded by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund on grounds the kingdom was complicit in the attacks - allegations the Saudi government has denied.

Human rights groups say the series is a "sportswashing" exercise designed to boost Saudi Arabia's international reputation.

But Watson insisted that he had heard "nothing but great things" from the golfers who have risked the wrath of the established tours to participate.

He said he was particularly attracted to the team aspect of the events, with players part of four-man teams battling for another US$5 million in prize money this week.

"It's not an individual sport any more," said Watson, who plans to join LIV Golf as a non-playing team captain until he is ready to resume competition.

Stenson also said he enjoyed his first LIV Golf experience.

"It's obviously very fair when we're all playing at the same time," he said of the shotgun start, which eliminates the chance of differing weather conditions for early and late starters.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS