Tom Watson solely noticed unity, dialog and simple laughter amongst 33 champions on the Masters Membership dinner, seven of them now with Saudi-funded LIV Golf. Watson longs for the day golf can really feel that means all yr lengthy.
Unity is a well-liked subject on the first main of the yr as a result of the PGA Tour has suspended LIV gamers for defecting to the rival circuit. The one time all of the world’s greatest get collectively are on the majors, and the Masters is the primary probability for that since July.
Watson mentioned he requested Masters chairman Fred Ridley if he may communicate towards the top of the Champions Dinner on Tuesday night time (US time).
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“I am trying across the room and I am seeing only a fantastic expertise everyone is having,” Watson, a two-time Masters champion, mentioned from Augusta Nationwide, the place the 2024 Masters started on Thursday night time.
“They’re jovial. They’re having a good time. They’re laughing. And I mentioned, ‘Ain’t it good to be collectively once more?’”
Watson mentioned the room grew quiet after which it was time to depart.
“And in a way, I hope that the gamers themselves took that to say, ‘You realize, now we have to do one thing’,” Watson mentioned. He paused earlier than repeating, “We have now to do one thing.”
Watson, three-time champion Gary Participant and six-time champion Jack Nicklaus had been collectively once more on the primary tee Thursday night time to hit the honourary tee shot, which was delayed by in a single day rain.
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They’ve mixed to win 35 majors — Nicklaus and Participant personal the profession grand slam — and are main figures in golf who’re amongst these saddened by the break up in within the sport on account of the arrival of LIV Golf. The circuit lured away main champions with assured Saudi riches.
However the Masters Membership is a time for celebration. It was mentioned to be like {that a} yr in the past with no distinction this time round. Most of tales had been about Seve Ballesteros as a result of the defending Masters champion can be a Spaniard, Jon Rahm.
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There isn’t any indication the 2 excursions are about to return collectively, even because the PGA Tour negotiates with the Public Funding Fund of Saudi Arabia — the cash behind LIV — as a minority investor within the new business enterprise.
Among the many obstacles for unification is a path again to the PGA Tour for LIV gamers, assuming all of them need to return.
“One of the best end result is the very best gamers play in opposition to one another on a regular basis,” mentioned Nicklaus, who has a stake in golf along with his Memorial Match.
He mentioned he has spoken with PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and was advised the tour was doing tremendous.
“If Jay thinks we’re doing tremendous, we’ll get there. I feel we’ll get there,” Nicklaus mentioned. “And I actually hope that occurs, the earlier the higher.”
Participant believes any resolution has to incorporate paying gamers who stayed loyal to the tour.
“You have to get collectively and are available to an answer. For those who can not — it isn’t good,” he mentioned. “The general public do not prefer it, and we as professionals do not prefer it, both.”
Listening to the information convention from the entrance row was former PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem, now an Augusta Nationwide member. He retired earlier than the Saudis acquired concerned in golf and has stayed comparatively quiet, not keen to supply an opinion.
Finchem was in his first yr as commissioner in 1994 when he shortly shot down Greg Norman’s effort to begin a world tour. He mentioned in 2010 he may foresee a world tour sooner or later with out understanding what form it may take.
Rory McIlroy has been amongst these suggesting a sequence of tournaments around the globe for the highest gamers, and that maybe any resolution with LIV may embody that.
Finchem is not so certain the fractured panorama will yield any type of a world tour.
“Golf is just not a lot totally different than it was 10 years in the past and it will not be a lot totally different 10 years from now,” Finchem mentioned. “They should not muck round with it.”
About the one factor everybody can agree on is that having gamers scattered amongst totally different excursions and solely competing in opposition to different 4 instances a yr is not serving to the game.
“Everyone knows it’s a tough state of affairs for skilled golf proper now,” Watson mentioned. “The gamers actually type of have management, I feel, in a way. What do they need to do? We’ll see the place it goes. We don’t have the data or the solutions. I don’t suppose the PGA Tour or the LIV tour actually have a solution proper now.
“However I feel on this room, I do know the three of us need to get collectively,” he mentioned. “We need to get collectively like we had been at that (Masters) Champions Dinner — completely happy, the very best gamers enjoying in opposition to one another. That’s what we wish in skilled golf. And proper now, we don’t have it.”
