AUGUSTA, Ga. — Tom Watson, a year ago at the Masters Champions Dinner, said he caused a pall. In talking about the separation among pros due to LIV Golf’s creation, Watson said it arose after he said just seven words.
“I got up and I said — I’m looking around the room, and I’m seeing just a wonderful experience everybody is having,” Watson said. “They are jovial. They are having a great time. They are laughing. I said, ‘Ain’t it good to be together again?’
“And there was kind of a pall from the joviality, and it quieted down, and then Ray Floyd got up and it was time to leave.”
A year later, he heard something similar.
From the defending champion.
The subject was unsurprising for the meal, which brings together previous winners — and players from both tours. It came up Thursday morning, too, after Watson, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player hit ceremonial tee shots to start this year’s Masters. Afterward, the threesome was asked whether it was necessary for the Tour and LIV to come together. Watson said he didn’t see “a real working mechanism” for reunification — but the two-time Masters winner also heard six words from Scottie Scheffler, last year’s winner.
“The one thing I do know,” Watson said, “is that Scottie Scheffler, in his speech at the past champions dinner on Tuesday night, said, ‘I’m glad we’re all together again.’ So the players would like to get together.
“But it’s really up to the powers that be to see if there’s a framework in which the two tours can cooperate. I don’t see that framework happening. … But from the standpoint of what Scottie said, I concur, it would be great to have all the great players play together.”
Answering the question before Watson, Player said reunification would be “ideal.” Nicklaus agreed, though he also said the Tour was fine.
“I think they’ve changed their structure,” Nicklaus said. “The players now own a piece of what’s going on. I think their plan of bringing along with their elevated events and their plan of bringing young players along in the other tournaments has been very successful. We’re making new stars for the game.
“Would I love to see them all come together? Sure, I think we all would. But I think the PGA Tour is the Tour, and that’s where most of your good players are, and I think it’s very healthy no matter which way it goes, but obviously we’d all like to see everybody together.”
LIV and one of its players were also brought up during the next question of Thursday morning’s presser.
A reporter asked Nicklaus if he was surprised that Phil Mickelson was still competing at such a high level, while Tiger Woods wasn’t, given Woods’ longtime work on fitness.
