(Bleacher Report) Bubba Watson will reportedly leave the PGA Tour for the LIV Golf Invitational Series and make his debut at the Saudi Arabia-backed upstart league’s Labor Day Weekend event outside Boston, per James Corrigan of The Telegraph.
Golf Digest confirmed the move. Bob Harig of Sports Illustrated, who also reported on Watson’s eventual departure, wrote that the switch is expected to be announced during LIV’s event at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey. That three-day event will take place Friday through Sunday.
The two-time Masters champion has been out since May with a torn meniscus. He will reportedly captain one of the LIV Golf teams during the Labor Day Weekend tournament, which is scheduled to be held at The International in Bolton, Massachusetts. However, he is not expected to play because of the injury, per Harig.
“They’re trying to change,” Watson said, per Harig.
“They started with women’s golf, started supporting the women’s golf (through a series of events on the Ladies European Tour) and then they started supporting men’s golf. There’s women’s tournaments already that they sponsor. Trying to grow the game. They’re trying to change industry over there, bring golf, bring tourism to Saudi Arabia with the beautiful beaches that they already have.”
As noted by Tom Schad of USA Today and others, the government has been accused of sportswashing, using the new league to help repair its image around the world.
Per Harig, when Watson spoke, it was unknown what the PGA Tour would do to players who wanted to participate in LIV Golf events. It turns out that players will have to choose between one or the other.
