Tag: Bubba Watson

Bubba Watson’s daughter Dakota dominated the Masters Par 3 Contest with her putting

Future ANWA champion Dakota Watson?

Bubba Watson is one of the better golfers in the world and a former Masters champion, and it looks like excelling in Augusta runs in the family.

During Wednesday’s Par 3 tournament for professional golfers and their families, Watson’s daughter Dakota showed off her incredible putting skills with two very impressive nudges that landed right on target.

Bubba Watson had to be a proud father watching Dakota wowing the Masters crowd like that, as her second putt in particular elicited the type of roaring cheer usually reserved for the weekend.

MASTERS: Live updates | Thursday tee times | TV, streaming

Maybe Dakota Watson will be competing in professional golf one of these days and carry on the family legacy of winning in the majors.

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Bubba Watson’s daughter wowed the Par 3 tournament crowd with her stellar putting ability

Bubba Watson’s daughter wowed crowds at Wednesday’s Par 3 tournament.

Bubba Watson is one of the better golfers in the world and a former Masters champion, and it looks like excelling in Augusta runs in the family.

During Wednesday’s Par 3 tournament for professional golfers and their families, Watson’s daughter Dakota showed off her incredible putting skills with two very impressive nudges that landed right on target.

Bubba Watson had to be a proud father watching Dakota wowing the Masters crowd like that, as her second putt in particular elicited the type of roaring cheer usually reserved for the weekend.

Maybe Dakota Watson will be competing in professional golf one of these days and carry on the family legacy of winning in the majors.

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New exclusive Georgia golf club to be founded by Bubba Watson, Chris Kirk, Brendon Todd and more

The plan is for Georgia’s golf teams — both the men and the women — to be able to use the course.

Bubba Watson slipped into a couple of green jackets in Augusta as Masters champion and returns to Athens on occasion for Georgia football and basketball games.

So what brought the former Bulldog golfer back to the area last week?

He teased a new golf course on the horizon “The Rose,” on his social media accounts.

You might have been thinking, ‘What’s that all about?’

It’s a planned 200 to 300 invitation-only 18-hole golf club that will be built on 588 acres in Hull, less than 15 minutes from downtown Athens. It will be ready to open by late 2026. Unconnected to the course on the tract will be 147 homes.

More: After Brian Harman’s British Open win, which former UGA golfer could be next major champ?

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It all sprung from an idea of Watson’s Georgia teammate, Nick Cassini, and his brother Dimitri who are developers on the project and have their own development company, Cassini Holdings.

It received approval from the Madison County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 8.

“It’s all centered around creating an amazing golf experience, an amazing golf course,” Nick Cassini told the Athens Banner-Herald. “It’s a collective group that has a ton of experience. Our founders are members of many, many clubs around the country so we’re sort of bringing some of the best aspects of all those clubs into this one.”

Watson, among those who left the PGA Tour for the lucrative Saudi-backed LIV Tour, joined UGA golf coach Chris Haack and Cassini last week along with Georgia golf alums Brendon Todd, David Denham and current assistant coach Mookie DeMoss to walk the site on what was a cold day.

Watson and Cassini were teammates in 2000-2001 who traveled together when they played on what’s now the Korn Ferry Tour.

“When I called Bubba up and told him about this, he immediately was excited about it,” said Nick Cassini who’s been friends with Watson since they were 12. “He saw it as a way to give back to the game, to the University of Georgia and with Athens and to really connect more with Athens and the school again. When we got approval, he wanted to come see the property.”

Watson, Todd and Athens resident and recent PGA Tour winner Chris Kirk are among those who will be founding members. They could have input into hole design, Haack said.

Haack said it could compare to high-end, private clubs Ohoopee in Cobbtown or Congaree near Ridgeland, S.C.

“Just something different for Athens,” he said.

A “well-renowned” golf architect will be hired as well as a clubhouse architect and announced in the coming weeks, Cassini said, “but we’ll have Tour guys eyeballs on the golf course as well which will be great and add something to it. Our goal is to create a world-class golf club.”

Matt Coutu, brother of former Georgia kicker Brandon Coutu, is a partner in the project and owns Woodland Assets which works with the Cassinis. He told the Madison County Board of Commissioners that the project on Howard Road underwent five revisions before approval.

It includes a private dining facility, swimming pool, locker room, spa and driving range. He told the board that cottages would start at about $550,000 and community lots from $800,000 to more than $1 million.

Haack said it took about 15 minutes to get from the UGA golf course to where the new course will be.

The plan is for Georgia’s golf teams — both the men and the women — to be able to use the course.

“They still have a huge interest in the program and think this will be a great place for our guys to play and practice,” Haack said. “Their anticipation on it is they’re going to keep it at really top notch, peak condition and make it a destination place that a lot of guys are going to want to come play. For us to have access to it, would be a huge feather in our cap.”

Even though the club will be for members and their guests, the plan is to host a Madison County Chamber of Commerce tournament, charity and amateur events. The Madison County High School golf team, which does not have a home course in the county, will be able to practice some there and host a match.

“We want to be inclusive and really integrated into the community,” Cassini said.

Cassini envisions fast greens and a track that would be around 7,400 yards from the back tees that will be ready for any level of golfer to enjoy.

“It will be a firm, fast golf course, a little bit more American links-style,” he said. “Natural topography. A lot of long views. It’s going to be something a little bit different than what’s in the area at this point. When I say area, not just the Athens area, but the Atlanta metro area.”

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LIV Golf offseason update: LIV Golf Draft, new team rumored for Jon Rahm and six open spots remain

Taking a look at what to expect next for LIV Golf’s offseason free agency period.

LIV Golf made arguably its biggest signing to date last week with world No. 3 and two-time major champion Jon Rahm and then held its first-ever promotions event.

So, now what?

Of the 12 established teams in the league, six spots remain available and four teams have openings. Bubba Watson’s RangeGoats GC finished runner-up at the 2023 LIV Golf Team Championship, and then the two-time Masters champion blew up his squad with two of the three trades that have been made so far this offseason.

With less than two months until the first event of the 2024 season at LIV Golf Mayakoba (Feb. 2-4), here’s a look at what’s still to come during LIV’s offseason period.

LIV Golf players had choice words for the TGL, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy at the season finale in Miami

“It’s a blatant fop to Tiger and Rory to keep them onside and earn them millions.”

Editor’s note: This story incorrectly named Ian Poulter for a quote that went unnamed in the original Telegraph story.

For a league that has struggled to stir up organic attention throughout its second season, LIV Golf has been letting its players try to make headlines this week at its season finale in Miami.

The LIV Golf Team Championship at Trump National Doral will be the final chapter of the Saudi Arabia-backed league’s sophomore campaign, and LIV players have been an open book — an eclipse-esc rarity—this week.

Phil Mickelson, who has just one top-10 finish in 13 LIV starts this year (remember, the fields only consist of 48 players), claimed that he “knows” more PGA Tour professionals will jump ship for the Greg Norman-led circuit.

“Do I think that? No, I know that’s going to happen,” Mickelson said Wednesday when asked whether he expects another movement of players. “When players look at LIV, they want to be a part of it. Everybody here is happy and enjoying what they’re doing and enjoying the team aspect of it. Enjoying each other and the camaraderie, and enjoying bringing golf globally and all that comes with playing this tour.

“So there’s a lot of players that see that and want to be a part of it. The question is how many spots are available? There’s a lot more players that want to come than have spots.”

Then, Bubba Watson claimed that there is incredible interest from outsiders to buy the RangeGoats GC, the LIV team he captains.

“Anywhere from 10 to 20 people have asked to buy the RangeGoats. There was three in Singapore, and then after Singapore the floodgates opened, there was even more,” he said. “There’s been talk this week. I met with people this week. Yeah, there’s quite a few.”

And now, other players have come out swinging at Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and the tech-infused league the two major championship winners are launching in January 2024, the TGL.

“Everyone – big businesses, celebrities, sports stars – suddenly want to get in with team sports,” Ian Poulter told The Telegraph. “Look at Wrexham [Football Club] with those Hollywood actors and other superstars at other teams, clubs and franchises.”

“It’s a blatant fop to Tiger and Rory to keep them onside and earn them millions of guess what, ‘guaranteed money,'” said an unnamed player.

“Suddenly” is quite the word choice to describe celebrities and sports stars’ interest in ownership and team sports. It’s been happening for years. Michael Jordan bought the Charlotte Hornets in 2010. Serena and Venus Williams bought a stake in the Miami Dolphins in 2009. Lebron James invested in Fenway Sports Group (Boston Red Sox, Liverpool FC) in 2011.

Not exactly a new trend.

And for the record, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney bought Wrexham almost three years ago.

“Look at the news in F1 (with McIlroy joining the likes of Anthony Johsua and Trent Alexander Arnold investing in the Alpine team). It’s not just the potential profit margin, it’s being involved and the fun to be had. It’s a win, win. Everyone wants a bit and I think LIV has been a leader in this, yeah. Definitely in golf.”

Poulter and teammate Lee Westwood face off against Abraham Ancer and Carlos Ortiz of Fireballs GC in the quarterfinals Friday.

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LIV Golf captain claims ’10 to 20 people’ are interested in buying his team

One word keeps popping up this week at the LIV Golf Team Championship: Interest.

DORAL, Fla. — One word keeps popping up this week at the LIV Golf Team Championship: Interest.

Ahead of the $50 million finale at Trump National Doral, players like Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson have hinted at what may be a busy offseason full of player movement, though it should be noted the same things were said last year and just a few players changed teams. On top of that, the highest-profile player that was signed was Thomas Pieters. Not exactly a needle mover.

The teasing of what may come continued Thursday, as a trio of captains dished on the current state of investment in LIV Golf, which owns 75 percent of each of the 12 franchise teams. The other 25 percent is owned by principal players, which would include captains such as Watson, Dustin Johnson and Joaquin Niemann.

“The evaluation, it’s not a small number,” said Watson, who most likely meant to say valuation. “But I think every team is going to be different. Some people want to know more. Some just people want to play golf. Just depends on which team you’re talking about and who it is. I want to know everything. I want to be part of it and move it forward and make the RangeGoats well-known.”

LIV Golf: Photos of 2023 Team Championship

Watson added that he has “had a few people” show interest in purchasing RangeGoats GC, who sit fourth and have a first-round bye for the Team Championship, and then clarified that “anywhere from 10 to 20 people have asked to buy the RangeGoats” and that he has “met with people this week.”

“There’s quite a bit of interest. Obviously like (Watson) said each team is going to differ. We have some interest,” added Johnson, whose defending champion 4Aces GC would undoubtedly be the most valuable franchise. “We’ll get more into that in the offseason once we are done after this week.”

“It is true there’s a lot of interest from individuals who want to buy into (the RangeGoats),” said Norman. It is the success of the product and the RangeGoats aren’t the only ones. There are other people interested in other teams as well too.”

“And remember,” he added, “our responsibility is to create as much value we can within each one of those franchises.”

Both Watson and Johnson discussed the challenge of taking on a new role and how they’re learning on the fly. For the two major winners, their careers have always been just about golf. Now they’re managing their teams and sponsors (though all 12 teams have general managers in some capacity).

“Right now, pretty focused on doing well on golf course,” said Torque GC’s Niemann, the league’s youngest captain by six years at 24 years old. “I think the better we do on the golf course, everything gets a little bit easier. But yeah, lucky to have a great team to support me in every aspect of how to run a business like Torque.”

While the team format still hasn’t fully caught on with golf fans, the players and LIV officials are all in (Brooks Koepka and Matthew Wolff aside). None of the 12 teams have been sold, but a few have inked partnership and sponsor deals over the last year. The timeframe for when franchises may be sold is up in the air, and the lagging framework agreement between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, LIV’s financial supporter, can’t be helping. Why would a company want to pony up money to own a team with an uncertain future?

The spin to the delay is teams have more time to find a proper fit for an owner, which the three captains agreed was more important than simply siding with the highest bidder.

“Yeah, like to have something that fits our team and something that fits our four players, what are our goals, and yeah, I mean, there’s all brands that we like to work with, something that is with our personality,” Niemann said before admitting, “there’s also a number, right.”

“All that’s out the window for the right number,” said a laughing Watson.

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Bubba Watson explains why he’s open to taking a non-playing role with LIV Golf

“It’s one of those things, that I want to play golf and I want to compete but at some point age is going to win.”

DORAL, Fla. — For most of LIV Golf’s inaugural season Bubba Watson was a non-playing captain.

The two-time Masters champion joined the upstart circuit as a non-playing captain during the third event of the inaugural season at Trump National Bedminster in New Jersey as he continued to rehab a torn meniscus. Watson said he wanted to be 100 percent healthy before teeing it up for LIV in 2023, where he’s earned just three top-20 finishes in 13 starts. Don’t forget LIV events only feature 48 players.

Despite being just a year into his role as a playing captain, Watson is already contemplating the future and returning to a non-playing role for his RangeGoats GC.

“Truthfully at some point, down the road, I want to keep playing. But at some point, I’m going to back away,” said Watson ahead of this week’s LIV Golf Team Championship at Trump National Doral. “I’m going to be that owner shows up to the tournaments, cheers the guys on, get the younger crowd in, better golfers. I’ve told myself since the start, if you don’t think I’m good enough, then let’s get somebody better. Put them in there and I’ll just sit out. I’ll cheer you on from the other side of the ropes. I’ll sit in the air conditioned box and watch y’all play golf in the heat.

“It’s one of those things, that I want to play golf and I want to compete but at some point age is going to win. Age always wins,” he continued. “At that point, I’m hoping that my team comes to me with arms open and we hug it out and we find somebody younger and better, stronger, faster, all those things.”

Watson finished the season 36th on LIV’s points list, eight spots and eight points from the relegation zone (though as a captain Watson is guaranteed a spot for next season). He’s been open all season that he’s been the weakest link on his team that includes individual season-long champion Talor Gooch, Harold Varner III and Thomas Pieters. At the Team Championship, captains play captains in the match play quarterfinals and semifinals. Despite Watson claiming he still wants to play, that doesn’t necessarily mean he wants to play other captains.

“Right now, the league is dictating captains play against captains … Like I would rather we could pick and choose. Put Talor out first, right, he’s played pretty good this year. That’s the one thing in the League that I wish we could change just so that if DJ called us out, I could put him against Talor, you know what I’m saying,” he explained. “That’s the one thing I wish we could change. Just so we can make those kind of matchups, or kind of like the Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup, you pick your players where you want them to be and who you want them to play against and all that.”

As the fourth team in the season-long standings, Watson’s RangeGoats have a bye for Friday’s quarterfinal round and will get to choose their opponents for Saturday. Quarterfinal pairings and matches can be found here.

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Players reflect on first year of LIV Golf in return to Centurion Club

“It’s exciting just to be a part of something new.”

There has been no shortage of drama, excitement, storylines and plenty more since LIV Golf made its debut last June at Centurion Club in London.

Players choosing to stay on the PGA Tour or go to LIV Golf. Some taking jabs at one another, back and forth. Numerous legal battles. Seemingly every day, there was something newsworthy related to LIV Golf and its attempt to thrust itself into the golf ecosystem.

This week, LIV Golf returned to Centurion Club, where 2023 LIV Golf London begins Friday. It’s the return to the place where LIV Golf began, and it’s the first time LIV has played a course twice.

Last season, it was the first of eight events. This year, it’s the ninth of 14. Although the future of LIV Golf is up in the air since the announcement of the agreement between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, the financial backer of LIV, players and executives are marching forward as if the circuit will continue.

Only time will tell.

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There are 23 golfers in the field this week who participated in the first LIV event last year. Some of those players and others reflected on the first year of LIV Golf ahead of kicking off Friday’s event in London. Here’s what they had to say.

Talor Gooch wins LIV Golf Singapore in playoff, RangeGoats claim team title

Gooch is LIV Golf’s first back-to-back winner and second two-time champion.

Talor Gooch is LIV Golf’s first back-to-back winner.

After nearly blowing a 10-shot lead last week in Australia, Gooch and Fireballs GC captain Sergio Garcia finished tied at 17 under after 54 holes, but it was the 31-year-old American who came out on top in the playoff for his second consecutive win on Sunday at Sentosa Golf Club on Sentosa Island. Brooks Koepka finished one shot outside the playoff in third at 16 under.

“I know that I’m not going to continue playing this level of golf forever. So you just enjoy it while it comes and try to make it last as long as you can,” said Gooch. “So you try to savor these moments and try to feel these feelings and emotions and try to remember ’em so that when they go away you can really get back as quickly as possible.”

LIV Golf Singapore: Photos | Leaderboard

“We all believed that he could do this. We knew he could do this. And this is just the start of it,” said Gooch’s RangeGoats captain, Bubba Watson. “When you get a taste of it, you want more of it.”

It was a RangeGoats GC sweep in Singapore as the squad won their first team title at 37 under, three shots clear of Fireballs GC (-34) and five clear of third place Crushers GC (-32).

This week’s event, the fifth of LIV’s 14-event league season, was the first that Dustin Johnson’s 4Aces GC did not finish on the podium inside the top three. The 4Aces won the inaugural team title last year.

Laurie Canter made the third hole-in-one in LIV’s short history and second in as many weeks, this time on the par-3 17th.

“We couldn’t see it go in because the, it was just the way the light was on the green at the time. So kind of saw it bounce and heard like a sort of murmur that it was going to be a half-decent shot,” said Canter. “And then everyone up at the green went mental at it.”

After consecutive international tournaments LIV Golf will return to the United States in two weeks with back-to-back stateside events, first with LIV Golf Tulsa, May 12-14, at Cedar Ridge Country Club in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and then with LIV Golf D.C., May 26-28, at Trump National Golf Club in Potomac Falls, Virginia.

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What’s next for LIV Golf: League will look to replicate its success in Australia at other events, but it won’t be easy

“There’s no stopping LIV Golf now. It’s on a vertical trajectory,” said Phil Mickelson.

LIV Golf Adelaide was the upstart circuit’s quintessential event: tens of thousands of starved golf fans, a party hole with a DJ and a team competition that came down to the wire.

By all accounts, LIV’s first stop in Australia was a success. But can they replicate that effort at other events going forward? Players like Crushers GC captain Bryson DeChambeau seem to think so.

“That’s what LIV should be, in its heart and its DNA, I think that’s what it can be every single week, and will be when people start understanding what the real deal is here,” said DeChambeau of last week’s event ahead of LIV Golf Singapore this week at Sentosa Golf Club. “There’s been a lot of controversy and a lot of things going on, but we are here to play golf, and we are here to do the best we possibly can every single week, and it was fun seeing the fans support us.”

The fan support Down Under was strong, there’s no denying that. Adelaide aside, last year’s Team Championship in Miami at Trump National Doral was LIV’s best-attended event. It wasn’t a Donald Trump rally like the event at his Bedminster property last summer, and fans showed up in droves compared to other LIV events. This year, however, the Team Championship has been moved from Miami to Saudi Arabia, where beer showers around a party hole are more than unlikely, they’re illegal.

Even this week’s event in Singapore will be a stark difference to what fans saw in Australia. DeChambeau expects 6,000-7,000 fans per day, which is less than half of Adelaide’s daily turnout.

“I think it’s going to continue to grow and grow exponentially, just the attractiveness of what the product is, sort of creating that festival type atmosphere,” said Cameron Tringale. “That’s what people want. I think the next generation is looking more for a good time, and to be entertained, just as much as they are for quality golf, and you get both of them with LIV.”

Cameron Smith admitted LIV fields aren’t very deep at the Masters, and Phil Mickelson has pointed out that LIV was smart not to just go after great players like Smith and Dustin Johnson, but also the characters in the game like himself, DeChambeau and Patrick Reed.

“Whether you love them or hate them, they’re interesting and people want to watch,” said Mickelson.

“Now a lot of other countries are wanting us to go there, so it was a big step in Adelaide in showcasing what it can be, what LIV Golf can be,” he added. “There’s no stopping LIV Golf now. It’s on a vertical trajectory, and it’s pretty exciting to be a part of it.”

LEGAL BLOW: Court rules LIV, PIF must comply with documents, witnesses for depositions

LIV Golf is proud of its disruptive nature, and players are still taking shots across the professional golf aisle. However, some players are already starting to see the mood shift towards LIV just 12 events in.

“I think the tide is changing. People are starting to see how (much) fun we are having, the team aspect, the competition at a high level,” said RangeGoats GC captain Bubba Watson. “I think it’s definitely changing … everybody has their ideas of what golf should look like but we are changing it and I think we are changing it for the better.”

As the schedule currently stands, it will be impossible to replicate the scenes in Australia at all 14 events, and maybe that’s a good thing. Watson noted how golf was missing a team atmosphere and that fans love the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup, “so why not do it all year round?”

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What makes the cup events special apart from national and regional pride is the fact that they aren’t every year. Anticipation builds. Not every LIV event will be a spectacle, especially if host countries and venues aren’t changed. That said, fans have seen what LIV can do in a short time thanks to the deep pockets of the Public Investment Fund, and LIV has plans to continue to grow.

“We are talking about having teams from different parts of the world. We are talking about having our own golf courses that, basically, we’ll call them our stadiums. We are talking about having golf academies to help young golfers, but also young golfers that want to play at our level, just like any other sports team around the world,” said Watson. “So there’s a lot of dreams and aspirations and a lot of things that we’ve already accomplished in less than a year, but we still want to keep going forward.”

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