AUGUSTA, Ga. — At one point during LIV Golf’s concluding round on Sunday at Doral, the top of the leader board was crowded with former Masters winners.
Phil Mickelson, who has won the Green Jacket three times, came close to securing his first LIV championship when he was competing for the lead at the age of 54.
Jon Rahm, who won the 2023 Masters, was also present.
Thus included Sergio Garcia (2017), Patrick Reed (2018), and Charl Schwartzel (2011).
LIV Golf couldn't have planned a more perfect conclusion as the Masters was set for the very next day following that last round.
The sole issue was that the impressive leaderboard failed to conclude with one of those iconic green jacket recipients at the summit, as Australian Marc Leishman emerged victorious instead.
LIV Golf is in urgently requiring greater visibility for its product .
STAY CURRENT WITH THE MOST RECENT INFORMATION BY JOINING THE MORNING REPORT NEWSLETTER.
Even though top golfers compete on the PGA Tour’s competing circuit, they seem as hidden as participants in a Witness Protection program.
The viewership figures for LIV have been below those of "I Dream of Jeannie" reruns.
However, LIV undoubtedly harbors the hope that if one of its 12 players competing in the Masters triumphs this week at Augusta National, it could elevate the LIV tournament's status and lend greater legitimacy to their circuit. This is particularly significant because current PGA Tour supporters along with influential figures within the Official World Golf Rankings view LIV as an inferior option due to its smaller 48-player fields and condensed format of just three rounds rather than four.
Measuring this is quite challenging since there has been no concrete proof indicating that Bryson DeChambeau’s victory at the U.S. Open last June at Pinehurst had any significant impact.
However, as more LIV players perform exceptionally well in significant tournaments, it inevitably boosts their prominence.
At last year's Masters, DeChambeau and Cam Smith ended up tied for sixth place, which was also the best among all LIV players. Tyrrell Hatton secured a tie for ninth position, followed closely by Reed who shared the thirteenth spot with others.
In 2023, Rahm emerged as the winner, with Mickelson and Brooks Koepka finishing in a tie for second place, and Reed ending up tied for fourth.
In 2022, Smith shared the third position, Dustin Johnson, who won the 2020 Masters, was tied for twelfth, and Schwartzel was tied for tenth.
Therefore, LIV golfers pose a significant challenge to claim victory this weekend at Augusta. If any of them manages to triumph, it could considerably enhance the competing tour’s reputation.
Rahm is eager to claim another victory at the Masters, especially following a subpar 2024 major season by his usual standards.
“It wasn't one of my best major seasons last year," Rahm stated. "My performance was lacking here where I ended up tied for 45th place, did not fare well at the PGA Championship, and couldn't participate in the U.S. Open due to a toe injury. However, I believe I am now playing significantly better golf as we approach this tournament."
“Playing at Doral last week was extremely challenging. It was definitely one of the hardest setups I’ve played. Feeling really, really good about this year in general.’’
Rahm mentioned that he looks forward to the pressure of performing this week.
I believe my own expectations and the self-imposed pressure have consistently been quite intense," he stated. "In regards to my initial major tournaments after turning professional, I don't think I managed them as well as I could have. The desire to secure victories led me to try controlling every aspect excessively, which was not effective. It took several years for me to understand that all I needed to do was step onto the course and allow things to unfold naturally.
I believe many things shifted significantly after I won my initial major title. It clearly delineates into before and after when attending a major championship, as having achieved one success gives insight into the winning recipe.
When questioned about his insights gained from the previous year at Augusta, where he scored a 65 in the opening round, DeChambeau responded.
I clearly have more to learn," he remarked with a chuckle. "Every year, I pick up bits of information regarding wind patterns and their impact on the trajectory of the golf ball for specific holes or slopes near particular flag positions. These small insights keep enhancing my understanding of the game across different parts of the course.
DcChambeau's tie for sixth place last year represented the highlight of his career so far, surpassing his earlier best finish of a tie for 21st in 2016 when he was still competing as an amateur.
As someone new to this, I thought I had a decent grasp of the golf course, yet I struggled with managing all the anxiety coursing through me, which remains something I'm working on even now," he explained. "In my view, the key emotional hurdle is maintaining your composure. Last week, I believe I stayed quite calm and managed to put up a strong effort.
Fingers crossed that pays off this week.
May his words reach the LIV deities.
