Bubba Watson 'the happiest I've ever been' after joining LIV Golf - 'I had to make a change or you die'

ByAlex Livie

Updated 30/10/2022 at 19:08 GMT

LIV Golf continues to make waves in golf, with a host of star names being lured to the Saudi-funded start-up by huge contracts and massive purses. Two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson was a big-name signing earlier in the year and despite not yet featuring due to injury, he has been a champion of LIV Golf, especially what it has done for him on a personal level.

Bubba Watson says LIV Golf has rescued him from a pit of despair and that he is now “the happiest I've ever been".

Watson is a two-time Masters champion, and proved to be a big-name recruit when signing for LIV in July.

He has yet to hit a ball in LIV Golf, as he continues his recover following knee surgery.

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Watson has nonetheless embraced LIV life, being an on-course reporter as he works on his fitness ahead of the new season.

The emergence of LIV has split the game down the middle, with the battle between the Saudi-funded start-up and the PGA Tour set to end up in court in 2024.

Watson, as you would expect, has talked positively about the impact LIV has made - especially how it has transformed his life on a personal level.

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“This is the happiest I’ve ever been and I haven’t even hit a shot yet,” Watson told the Times. “I was in a business [the PGA Tour] that I didn’t want to be in and that showed me the light and got me to LIV Golf.

“I knew the backlash would be there but my legacy is about who I am as a husband, who I am as a person, and not what I do for a living.

"I’ve been through it all, mentally and physically, I’ve wasted money and saved money and given to charities, I’ve done it all. LIV gives me the best opportunity to help people if they want to be helped, and that’s what makes me happy.”

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Watson has fought personal demons throughout his life, and a battle with his weight.

He was at his lowest ebb when he realised a cancer scare was actually a mental issue.

“That was the worst of the worst,” he said. “But after I fell to my knees, I thought if this is my last ten minutes, I need to be with my wife, my kids, and that’s what got me off the floor. Once I knew I didn’t have cancer, I realised it had to be something mental.

"I was letting my life be dictated by the pressure; ranking points; Ryder Cups; winning a third major. I had to get away from the idea of that being who I am. I had to make a change or you die, and I haven’t checked my weight since.”

While the door to the PGA Tour is closed to Watson after joining LIV, it is likely that he will be able to compete in the Masters being a former champion.

Should officials at Augusta adopt the stance of the PGA Tour and ban players who are competing on the Saudi-funded LIV Golf, Watson said he would not want to attend the event.

“If the Masters say Bubba Watson can’t play [because of being with LIV], those are people I don’t want be associated with anyway,” the 43-year-old said.

“I’ve earned the right, I’ve won twice. If they say I’m a bad person because I’m part of this new league, I wouldn’t want to be there.”

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