LIV Golf

Nick Pugh, the caddie for golfer LIV golfer Lucas Herbert, was struck in the head by a water bottle during the second round of the LIV Golf Adelaide on Saturday.

Herbert told Adam Pengilly of The Sydney Morning Herald that Pugh managed to avoid injury after being struck with the bottle after his birdie on No. 12.

"I was worried about him to begin with, but he's good now," he said. "He's good and he took it really well. He could have been a lot more upset with it, but he took it really well. It's probably difficult to request someone who has had 15 beers to aim a water bottle away from someone. That's maybe asking too much."

"[Playing partner] 'Gracey' [Branden Grace] made a putt from the top tier and some drinks landed on the green," he continued. "That's good fun, and it's in the right spots so we can deal with it. A few pushed it too far. But the crowd self-policed and they got some boos when they were throwing things too close. That's about as crazy as it needs to get."

Herbert shot a 7-under 65 on Saturday, though still trails tournament leader Brendan Steele (-14) by seven strokes.

Greg Norman attended the 2024 Masters as a fan and not an official invitee of Augusta National Golf Club.

The LIV Golf CEO's son, Greg Norman Jr., took to social media Thursday to explain the situation, noting his father purchased a ticket on the secondary market and was there to "watch a LIV player take the green jacket."

Yes. All this is true.

My dad paid for a ticket on the secondary market to attend the Masters as a patron. He was denied one directly after going through the proper professional channels. He had to be there anyway to support the LIV players.

It was an amazing experience;… pic.twitter.com/Yt5Uk9r7nG

— Greg Norman Jr (@GregJrNorman) April 11, 2024

He wasn't invited to last year's tournament, either, with Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley telling reporters: "We did not extend an invitation to Mr. Norman. The primary issue … I want the focus this week to be on the Masters competition, on the great players that are participating, the greatest players in the world, which, by our decision in December, we ensured that we were going to honor and be consistent with our invitation criteria."

As for this year's event, Norman was spotted walking outside the ropes during Wednesday's par-three tournament.

"I'm here because we have 13 players that won 10 Masters between them," Norman said, per Rick Maese of the Washington Post. "So I'm here just to support them, do the best I can to show them, 'Hey, you know, the boss is here rooting for you.'"

Maese also reported Norman "didn't bother waiting for an invitation and came to the course with a pair of LIV executives through the main gate."

One of those LIV golfers he will be supporting is Jon Rahm, who won the Masters last year but has since departed for the tour that is funded by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund.

The Saudi government has been accused on several occasions of sportswashing in an effort to cover up alleged human rights violations.

While discussions of a potential merger between the PGA Tour and LIV have continued for nearly a year, such a partnership still has not been finalized. At this point, they are still separate entities that prevent the world's best players from coming together for a single tournament outside the majors.

In January, ESPN's Mark Schlabach reported the PGA Tour received an infusion of up to $3 billion elsewhere from the for-profit entity, PGA Tour Enterprises. Notably, the deal still allowed for a co-investment from PIF if there is going to be a merger down the line.

For now, though, they are still separated as Norman resorts to buying tickets to the sport's most famous event on the secondary market.

The 88th edition of The Masters is set to tee off Thursday, and some of golf's biggest stars will be in the field.

Among them will be Tiger Woods, who hasn't played since February's Genesis Open. The 48-year-old will compete this weekend, though, and he's bringing along veteran caddie Lance Bennett.

Bennett was also on the bag at the Genesis Open.

"We've had the same type of feels in how we look at the golf course and how we read putts, they're very similar," Woods said in February, per Joel Beall of Golf Digest. "I think it's a great—we're going to be a great team and look forward to the challenge."

While Woods' participation will add intrigue to The Masters, he won't be among the favorites in Augusta. Woods (+13000) has long odds to win it all, according to DraftKings, while Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy are the early betting favorites.

Check out Vivid Seats for tickets to The Masters and other golf events.

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Early Favorites for The Masters 2024

Scottie Scheffler +450

Rory McIlroy +1000

Jon Rahm +1100

Xander Schauffele +1600

Brooks Koepka +2000

Jordan Spieth +2200

*Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

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Scheffler and McIlroy are the first- and second-ranked players in the World Golf Rankings, so their spots atop the favorites list are unsurprising. Of course, with the 2024 tournament rapidly approaching, plenty of golf experts have their own opinions about who will take home the green jacket this year.

Jacob Camenker of Sporting News believes Scheffler's spot among the favorites is justified.

"The World No. 1 golfer has won two of his last three tournaments and nearly made it three with a T-2nd finish at the Houston Open," Camenker wrote. "... His putting used to be a weakness compared to his tee-to-green game, but a change to a mallet putter appears to have him catching fire."

According to SportsLine's Sia Nejad, however, McIlroy is a favorite to fade this weekend. Nejad is much higher on Hideki Matsuyama, even though Matsuyama is a +2500 long shot:

"His Masters history is excellent and he's done it by showcasing elite ball striking. He's also starting to trend very well in the short game department and appears to have shaken off whatever nagging injuries ailed him over the last year."

Riley Hamel of GolfWeek views Brooks Koepka as an undervalued option for bettors.

"It's Brooks Koepka at a major championship. How is he not 12/1 or even 10/1?" Hamel wrote. "Koepka missed the cut at Augusta in 2022 and 2021, but he was hurt. Toss those finishes aside."

Koepka tied for second at Augusta last year and had top-10 finishes in three of the last five tournaments.

Naturally, it would be foolish to discount the defending champion, Jon Rahm, as Alex Myers of Golf Digest pointed out.

"He's the defending champ and he's finished in the top 10 in five of his last six starts," Myers wrote. "... While we'd give Scottie Scheffler a slight edge, Rahm at double the odds jumps him to the top spot"

Myers' case for doubting Rahm?

"He's got a lot going on that week including hosting the Champions Dinner."

Golf Monthly editor Neil Tappin believes Rahm is destined for a shining moment: "He'll be relishing the prospect of retaining his title after his move to LIV," Tappin wrote. "He's had a solid season so far and it's only a matter of time before he bursts through. What's more, his game is made for Augusta National. I'd be shocked if he wasn't in contention come Sunday."

History isn't on Rahm's side, though, as Woods was the last golfer to win The Masters in back-to-back years. He did it in 2001 and 2002.

Still, Augusta is the perfect backdrop for intrigue and surprise, so anything could happen. Regardless of who claims victory, fans are sure to be treated to a thrilling weekend of glorious golf.

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Jon Rahm believes LIV Golf could benefit from changing its format to the traditional 72-hole tournament style used on the PGA Tour.

"If there ever was a way where LIV could go to 72 holes, I think it would help all of this argument a lot," Rahm told the BBC (h/t ESPN). "The closer I think we can get LIV Golf to some other things the better. I think it would be for some kind of unification to feed into a world tour or something like that.

"I don't know if I'm alone in this, but I definitely wouldn't mind going back to 72 holes."

LIV currently uses a 54-hole format with shotgun starts and no cut rules. Rahm, who joined LIV in December on a reported multiyear, $350 million deal, previously expressed his disdain towards LIV's 54-hole tournaments and said he preferred to stay on the PGA Tour.

Now with LIV, Rahm said he believes his decision to join the league could give it an edge as it competes with the PGA Tour.

"That's a well-thought-out argument. I could be the start of a tipping point in that sense," Rahm said. "I understood the weight that [my] decision could have and the impact it could have. I understood that perfectly and that's why it wasn't an easy decision.

Rahm's comments come as he and 13 other LIV golfers prepare to compete in the Masters this week. Rahm won his first Masters last year, beating Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson by four strokes.

It's safe to say that Anthony Kim's return to golf came about rather abruptly.

The Journey Back is an in-house LIV Golf documentary with David Feherty that is available on the LIV Golf Plus app and website and delves into Kim's decision to return to competitive golf.

Jay Busbee of Yahoo Sports noted Tuesday that Kim revealed he didn't start playing golf again until approximately three months ago when he began to teach his wife. However, LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman called him, which started the process of entertaining a comeback.

There was a time when Kim was a marquee name in the golf world.

He set the record for birdies in a single round at the Masters with 11 in the second round of the 2009 tournament. He finished in third place in the 2010 Masters and notched two top-10 finishes at The Open Championship.

Kim also won three times on the PGA Tour and seemed well on his way to a long career.

However, as Busbee noted, he withdrew from the 2012 Wells Fargo, underwent Achilles surgery and didn't play again competitively until he decided to join LIV Golf. The documentary revealed he underwent multiple surgeries, including a spinal fusion, when he was away from the game.

"I had battles mentally that I never talked about to anybody and kept to myself," he said. "I started to turn my life around about a year and a half ago."

Mark Schlabach of ESPN noted Kim also said he has an "addictive personality" and knew he "needed help for a long time."

While the documentary doesn't go into specific details about some of those "battles," Kim said: "I was around some bad people. People that took advantage of me. Scam artists. When you're 24, 25, even 30 years old, you don't realize the snakes that are living under your roof."

Yet he credited his wife and daughter for helping him turn things around and even said he feels differently about the game at this point.

"I have an interesting relationship with golf," Kim said. "I don't think I ever loved it. What's weird now is that I'm falling in love with the game."

Kim, 38, finished in last place in his first tournament back last month in Saudi Arabia. Still, it was his first competitive appearance in 12 years, and he showed improvement during a four-over 74 in the final round.

He also competed in the tournament in Hong Kong and ended up in 50th place with a score of three over. That was a significant jump from his overall score of 16 over in his first event, and he even shot five under in the final round.

More improvement could come as he reacquaints himself with the game he was absent from for so many years.

After the LIV Golf League withdrew its application to receive recognition from the Official World Golf Ranking on Tuesday, former World No. 1 Jon Rahm sounded off about the ranking system.

"I'm going to be honest, I didn't know they were still trying to get world ranking points. But the one thing I can say is I'm going to back to what I said two years ago in the DP World Tour Championship," Rahm told reporters Wednesday. "I didn't think it was a good system back then. And if anything, the more time that goes on, the more it proves to be wrong."

The Official World Golf Ranking system helps determine entry into each of golf's four major tournaments. LIV Golf originally submitted its application for recognition in July 2022 but was rejected this past October, mainly due to the fact that the league's events are played with only 54 holes and no cuts.

Rahm, the reigning Masters champion who was ranked No. 1 in the world as recently as last April and May, is still ranked No. 3 despite leaving the PGA Tour to join LIV Golf in December. He is one of just four LIV players ranked in the top 50 in the world.

Rahm cited the No. 76 ranking for Joaquin Niemann, who won last week's LIV Golf event in Saudi Arabia, as one of the examples of the ranking system being out of touch. Niemann has received invites to the Masters, Open and PGA Championship.

"I'm very happy to see Joaco get invites. ... While we don't have a clear path to majors through LIV yet, I think they should be taking everybody under consideration," Rahm said. "If anybody in this world doesn't think Joaco deserves to be in the top 10 or doesn't know that he's a top player in the world, I don't know what game you're watching. We can tell. I think anybody who watches golf can tell who the best players in the world are. Obviously I don't think the ranking is reflective of that right now to its entirety."

LIV Golf CEO and commissioner Greg Norman sent a letter to players on Tuesday saying that the league is planning to work directly with the governing bodies of the four major tournaments to get more of its players in the fields. Rahm said he doesn't believe it should be up to the players to figure out a solution.

"Our job shouldn't be to make the rules or impose the rules or enforce the rules. We're here to entertain," Rahm said. "It's the governing bodies' job to be doing this and be adaptable to the changing environment."

Anthony Kim is expected to make his return to golf at this week's LIV Golf League event in Saudi Arabia, per ESPN's Mark Schlabach.

He is expected to participate in the LIV Golf Invitational Jeddah tournament, which starts Friday at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City. It is expected Kim will play as a wild card.

As a result, Kim will participate in the individual competition but won't have scores count toward the team event.

Kim, 38, has not played professional golf in 11 years, with his last PGA Tour appearance coming in 2012.

In his last professional appearance, Kim withdrew from the first round of the Wells Fargo Championship in May 2012. He had surgery to repair an Achilles injury shortly after and has not played professional golf since.

Schlabach noted that Kim collected a reported $10 million to $20 million disability insurance policy that he would likely be required to pay back if he makes a comeback.

Greg Norman, CEO and commissioner of the LIV Golf League, shared a post on X on Monday that featured Kim walking down a fairway.

He oozes incredible talent. The world has seen it in the past and now it is an honour as Commissioner of LIV Golf to give the opportunity for this star to be reborn. Welcome back and to the LIV Golf family mate. The golf world has missed you. pic.twitter.com/HNzsXPgFUp

— Greg Norman (@SharkGregNorman) February 26, 2024

Golf.com's Dylan Dethier reported in January that Kim and Norman have had discussions about a one-year LIV deal that would be "in the area of $10 million," but it's not clear whether Kim has accepted any offers.

Jon Rahm divulged Tuesday that winning the 2023 Masters played a significant role in his decision to leave the PGA Tour for LIV Golf.

In an interview for Golf.com's Breakthrough (h/t ESPN.com), Rahm suggested that the exemptions gained from winning the 2023 Masters and 2021 U.S. Open made him more comfortable with the idea of jumping ship from the PGA Tour:

"Winning the Masters was a huge step towards maybe thinking about it. Being exempt from majors, knowing that most likely you can play the Masters for life and the U.S. Open at least until 2031, you know, I'm set with two of those, right, so it was a big determining factor."

Rahm, who made his LIV Golf debut last weekend, reportedly agreed to a $300 million deal with the organization, which has poached several PGA Tour stars since its inception in 2022.

The 29-year-old Spaniard is perhaps the most significant LIV Golf signing yet, as he is currently the No. 3 golfer in the world.

LIV acquired some big names previously, including Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau, but Rahm is firmly in his prime and was in the conversation as being the PGA Tour's biggest star.

Although Rahm suggested during his time with the PGA Tour that a big-money offer from LIV wouldn't do much to sway him, he admitted during Tuesday's interview that the offer became too robust to turn down:

"When I said that, I fully meant it and it was true. Now, when they slap you with a large amount of money in your face, your feelings do change. I try not to be a materialistic person, but I do owe it to my family as well to set them up for success the best I can, and having kids I think changed that quite a bit. So the money is a part of it, I'm not going to lie."

Although the PGA Tour and LIV Golf agreed to a merger back in June, they did not make it official by the initial Dec. 31 deadline, and talks are still ongoing.

LIV has continued to siphon talent from the PGA Tour despite the looming possibility of a merger, and it remains unclear what the future holds for the world of professional golf.

Rahm is hopeful for a merger, and he also expressed hope that there will be a path for him to return to playing select PGA Tour events in the future, saying:

"I'm hoping that in the near future I can be back playing some of those events."I would certainly love to go back and play some of them. If there's ever a way back and a way where we can play, even if it's as an invite, I will take it. There's certain events that are special to me that I would still love to support."

Currently, players who join LIV Golf are not permitted to play in PGA Tour events, although they can still participate in majors that they have qualified for or earned exemptions for.

At the very least, Rahm will be allowed to play in the Masters and the U.S. Open for the foreseeable future, which made it easier for him to part ways with the PGA Tour and accept life-changing money from LIV Golf.

Count Jordan Spieth among those who believe the PGA Tour doesn't need any type of merger or agreement with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, which funds the LIV Golf league.

"I don't think it's needed," Spieth said following Wednesday's partnership between the PGA Tour and Strategic Sports Group, per Paolo Uggetti of ESPN. "The idea is that we have a strategic partner that allows the PGA Tour to go forward the way that it's operating right now without anything else, with the option of other investors."

On Wednesday, ESPN's Mark Schlabach reported the PGA Tour reached a deal with SSG that features an initial $1.5 billion investment with the potential for another $1.5 billion investment in the future for a new for-profit entity, PGA Tour Enterprises.

The PGA Tour's release regarding the partnership said there can be a co-investment from the PIF, as long as it passes a regulatory review.

"If the PIF were interested in coming in on terms that our members like and the economic terms are at or not beyond SSGs, and they feel it would be a good idea, I think that's where the discussions will start," Spieth, who is part of the PGA Tour policy board that unanimously approved the new deal, said. "I think that it should be extremely positive at this point that the ship's turning and it can only go on the right way from here. …

"We're in a place where we could be better than we've ever been as a tour."

Spieth joined the board following Rory McIlroy's resignation and serves alongside other player directors in Tiger Woods, Patrick Cantlay, Peter Malnati, Adam Scott and Webb Simpson.

While there remains the possibility of the PIF co-investing into PGA Tour Enterprises, Uggetti noted any deal likely won't come in the immediate future since it may need to pass possible regulatory scrutiny from the United States government.

McIlroy has publicly said players who left for LIV should be allowed to return to the PGA Tour without punishment, but that apparently isn't a consensus stance.

"I've asked a lot of players, I've done a lot of talking with a lot of players in the last couple months," Spieth said. "That's Rory's viewpoint. I could name some guys with the same viewpoint, I could name some guys with a totally opposite viewpoint. So it's certainly mixed on how players feel about that."

For now, PGA Tour members will have new opportunities with Wednesday's development since they can become equity holders in PGA Tour Enterprises.

They will have access to equity grants that Uggetti noted can increase based on "career accomplishments, recent achievements, future participation and services and PGA Tour membership status."

Anthony Kim, who had a promising start to his golf career before it was derailed by injuries over a decade ago, is reportedly considering picking up the clubs once again.

According to ESPN's Mark Schlabach, Kim has been in discussions with the PGA Tour and LIV Golf about returning to professional golf.

The last time Kim played on the PGA Tour was in May 2012 when he withdrew after the first round of the Wells Fargo Championship. He underwent surgery the following month to repair an injury to the Achilles tendon in his left leg, and he hasn't participated in a professional tournament since.

Schlabach noted that sources said Kim has been ramping up his training in recent weeks and is eyeing a possible return to pro tournaments at some point this spring. However, he would face a slight hurdle if he chose to come back.

The 38-year-old collected at least part of a disability insurance policy that was reportedly worth $10-20 million. If he returns to professional competition, he would have to pay back a large portion or possibly all of the settlement he collected.

After turning pro in 2006, Kim had a quick rise to stardom. During the 2008 season, he earned his first PGA Tour victory at the Wachovia Championship at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte. He won again less than two months later at the AT&T National at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland. At the height of his career, he was ranked as high as sixth in the world.

Schlabach noted that Kim would have the option of playing in non-signature events as a past champion or through exemptions on the PGA Tour. LIV Golf commissioner Greg Norman also reportedly reached out to him to begin negotiations on a potential one-year deal.