(New York) The American Bubba Watson, twice winner of the Masters, confirmed on Friday his rallying to the LIV, the dissident Golf League supported by Saudi funds, a frontal competitor of the traditional circuits USPGA in the United States and DP World Tour in Europe.
Posted yesterday at 4:43 p.m.
The former world number 2, currently ranked 86eclarified that he will not play until he is fully recovered after surgery on his right knee.
Other players recruited by former Australian world No.1 Greg Norman, managing director of LIV Golf, include Americans Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka, all former Major winners.
LIV (denomination corresponding to the Roman numeral 54, or the sum of three eighteen-hole courses) said on Wednesday that forty-eight players and twelve teams will compete in fourteen tournaments next year, with a total of 405 million dollars in prize money (400.6 m EUR).
The organizers, however, stressed that the calendar “would not compete with major tournaments or international team events”.
American players who have joined LIV Golf have been suspended from the PGA Tour until further notice and will therefore not be able to participate in the Ryder Cup, a team tournament between the United States and Europe every two years.
Friday took place the tournament of Bedminster (New Jersey, United States), third event of the calendar of the LIV, in a private club of the former American president Donald Trump, arousing the turmoil of families of victims of the 11 September 2001.
American Patrick Reed, winner of the Masters in 2018, and Swede Henrik Stenson, who was stripped of the title of captain of the European team for the Ryder Cup last week for his participation in the dissident league, occupy the leading the competition at the end of the first round, with a card of 7 under par.