The final LIV Golf event before The Masters takes place in Miami this week. Ahead of the tournament, six of the players who will compete at Augusta National spoke to the media to discuss issues ranging from their chances of winning the Major to the current state of the game.
Here are some of the thoughts of Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm, Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson and Joaquin Niemann.
Can A LIV Golf Player Win The Masters?
Given the proximity of the Masters to this week’s LIV Golf event, it was not surprising that the Major was one of the big talking points, and there was a general air of confidence on the chances of a player from the circuit being handed the Green Jacket.
Brooks Koepka, who almost won the title in 2023 before finishing T2 with Phil Mickelson said: “I like the chances. A lot of guys playing well,” before adding on his own hopes of going one better than last year: “This is kind of my time.”
One of the LIV golfers tipped to perform well is Joaquin Niemann, who won two of the first four events of the season. He also expressed confidence, saying: “If I keep playing the way I'm playing, I know I'm going to have a good chance to win."
Defending champion Rahm thinks he’s heading into the event in good form, too. He explained: “This year I feel like I have been playing really good golf but not over that hump of winning yet. I'm confident now, and I'm equally confident on my game pretty much any given day of the year.”
LIV Golf Miami The Ideal Preparation For Augusta National?
The possibility of a LIV golfer winning The Masters could come down to preparations beforehand, and there was agreement that the venue for LIV Golf Miami, Trump National Doral, has the attributes to ensure they would enter the tournament in the best possible shape.
Mickelson said: “This is a great place to get ready for Augusta. It gives you an opportunity to get momentum if you play well but also gives you a chance to play every shot you're going to need into Augusta.”
Two-time Masters champion Watson concurred, saying: “It's perfect for managing your golf ball. That's what you have to do at Augusta, and put the ball in the right spots, and like he said, there's difficulty on every hole out here.”
“Look, it's a great test of golf,” said DeChambeau. “You have to be on your game pretty much every hole out here, and it's kind of a good start, I would say to get us in the Major mindset."
Meanwhile, Koepka added: “Yeah, I think it's the first big boy golf course we've played this year. It's a tough golf course, and you've got to be able to ball-strike it here and ball-strike it at Augusta.”
‘Too Many People Are Losing Interest’
The thorny issue of how – or even if – LIV Golf and PGA Tour players will eventually come back together for regular tournaments was also discussed, and Crushers GC captain Bryson DeChambeau was adamant that something needs to happen sooner rather than later, claiming, "people are losing interest."
He said: “Ultimately, it's up to the guys up top to figure it out and figure it out quickly because we can't keep going in this direction.”
He continued: “It needs to happen fast. It's not a two-year thing. Like, it needs to happen [sooner] rather than later just for the good of the sport. Too many people are losing interest."
Niemann had similar thoughts, saying: "I'm the same way. I feel like right now, the game of golf is kind of divided a little bit and I feel like that you've got to do it for the fans and for everybody getting more entertainment.”
‘It’s Going To Be A More Global Sport’
While there was general agreement that the men’s game needs to reunite sooner rather than later, one of the first players to join LIV Golf, Phil Mickelson, envisaged what the future may entail.
He explained: “So I knew the first two years were going to be interesting. And how it all plays out, where it ends up, I don't know exactly. I just know that in the end, it's going to be a more global sport and there's going to be more opportunities.”
Meanwhile, Rahm thinks the chance of reunification at the top of the game offers an opportunity for a better product. He said: “I think there's room for both. It's as simple as that. I think we have the opportunity to end up with an even better product for the spectators and the fans of the game.”
Who Has Visited Augusta National Ahead Of The Masters?
Naturally, The Masters frequently returned to the conversation, and the players revealed whether they had visited Augusta National ahead of their appearances at the Major.
Despite getting so close last year, Koepka admitted he hadn’t returned since his near miss, saying: “I always thought I was going to win. Like I said, I can run down those numbers. Statistically, it's your best chance to win a major. But no, I haven't been back.”
However, for the man who beat him, Rahm, a return visit was important. He explained: “I've been there, yeah. I wanted to go back at least once before Masters week. I didn't want the first time back at Augusta National to be tournament week, right? I wanted to get a lot of those emotions out of the way, and also see the golf course, see if they have done any changes.”
As for Mickelson, he explained something had cropped up to prevent a planned visit, but that he’d make up for it next week. He said: “I was supposed to go last week and something came up and I didn't. So I have not been there. I'll get there Sunday night and play a little bit more on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, than I normally do.”
And what about Watson? “No,” was his response.
'Team Golf Is Where The Future Is'
While the Range Goats GC captain was brief on that subject, on the matter of team golf provided by LIV, he had far more to say. He began: “Team golf, it's college golf all over again, right? We love team sports. We pull for the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup. So team golf, to me, is where the future is.”
He then defended the team aspect of LIV Golf, saying: “Competition is real. There's a different element, not just the individual. It's the team aspect where on Sunday all four balls count now and it's a lot of drama out there on a Sunday.”
DeChambeau also praised the team format, saying: “From the team aspect, I just think it's awesome how we can get together, come together and when people are struggling, when teammates are struggling, you can lift them up, pick them up.”
He added: “Obviously the Ryder Cup stands alone in its own right. Majors stand alone in its own right. But I would say the golf out here is a lot of fun and just a different, fresh, new perspective on the professional game of golf, and that's why I love it.”
