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This year's Augusta Masters is full of controversies. As the tournament organizers invited 17 LIV Golf players to compete in the most prestigious golf tournament, players can feel the heat of the PGA vs LIV Golf controversy.
Bubba Watson, a two-time Masters winner, is among those to pass on a critical remark to PGA Tour stalwart Rory McIlroy. Watson critically slammed Rory for protecting his business (PGA Tour) but feels that it was fine.
He added:
"He's protecting his business, protecting his entity, which is fine. I'm going to be honest, it's only awkward in the media. I've talked to people that are going to be there. Some guys have already asked me to play practice rounds."
However, the feud between the two circuits i.e., PGA and LIV Golf seems to be far from over, with players from both sides set to compete at the Augusta National Golf Club on April 6 for the prestigious green jacket.
LIV Golf's Patrick Reed and Bubba Watson recently shared that players from both circuits will not be up for any animosity during the 2023 Augusta Masters. Reed feels that there will be headlines because of the LIV vs PGA Tour, but he is up for business. He said:
"But really, at the majors, top players in the world are going and playing against each other no matter where they come from. It doesn't matter what Tour they're on. For us, at least for myself, it's going to be business as usual."
17 LIV Golf players got invitations from the 2023 Augusta Masters
As per the qualification criteria released by the organizers, 17 players from LIV Golf earned an invite to compete at the 2023 Augusta Masters.
Patrick Reed, Bubba Watson, Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, and Charl Schwartzel are among six golfers who will get lifetime invites due to being previous Masters champions.
- Dustin Johnson
- Phil Mickelson
- Brooks Koepka
- Thomas Pieters
- Bubba Watson
- Abraham Ancer
- Sergio Garcia
- Bryson DeChambeau
- Jason Kokrak
- Talor Gooch
- Kevin Na
- Louis Oosthuizen
- Joaquin Niemann
- Charl Schwartzel
- Patrick Reed
- Harold Varner
- Cameron Smith
Full Schedule of 2023 Augusta Masters
The 87th Masters will start at the Augusta National Golf Club on April 6. But the Pre-Tournament starts on April 3, with the 2023 Masters Dinner for Scottie Scheffler on April 4.
- April 3 - Pre-Tournament
- April 4 - Pre-Tournament
- April 5 - Pre-Tournament
- April 6 - Round 1
- April 7 - Round 2
- April 8 - Round 3
- April 9 - Round 4
Bubba Watson was amongst the first to join LIV Golf
The 44-year-old American professional golfer, Bubba Watson, on July 29, 2022, announced that he would join the cash-rich LIV Golf. He joined as a non-playing captain as he was still recovering from a torn meniscus.
Watson joined the likes of Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Reed, Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, Sergio García, Graeme McDowell, Dustin Johnson, Louis Oosthuizen, Martin Kaymer, Charl Schwartzel, and Lee Westwood to make headlines by joining the Saudi-backed controversial LIV Golf League.
