Tom Watson enjoyed a stellar career on the PGA Tour and the eight-time major champion has always been a real voice of reason when it comes to all things topical in the world of professional golf.
Watson has 39 PGA Tour wins to his name, including an incredible five Open Championships, a Masters trophy and a US Open title.
The now 76-year-old is a traditionalist in the extreme, so when LIV Golf came along in 2022, it was not surprising that he wasn’t the biggest fan of the Saudi-backed league.
LIV Golf’s inception three years ago caused a real divide in professional golf.
That said, it’s clear to see that the PGA Tour is still a long way ahead of their rivals.
It was recently announced that LIV posted record losses in 2024, and are now $1 billion in the red since their inception three-and-a-half years ago.
Many believed LIV would be further along in their original plan from where they are currently at. However, what was Watson’s view on the whole situation in 2022?
What Tom Watson predicted about LIV Golf before their first event
Watson spoke to British publication The Metro back in 2022, just one month before LIV Golf’s first ever tournament at Centurion Golf Club in England.
And the eight-time major champion shared the impact he believed LIV would have on the professional game.
“I was approached by Mark McCormack in the late 1970s to break away. I turned to Mark and said, ‘This would destroy the tour’. It was based on money.
“It wouldn’t be healthy for golf. It’s the same thing today. It would damage the game hugely. I don’t think it will happen because the top players want to play in the best tournaments.“
You could argue that Watson was spot on by saying that LIV would damage the game in the sense that the formation of the league has deprived golf fans of watching the very best players in the world compete against each other outside of the four major championships.
However, the counter-argument is that LIV has provided players with the opportunity to travel the world.
Additionally, despite what people like Brandel Chamblee may claim, there are plenty of golf fans who enjoy watching LIV Golf.
Tickets were sold out in Adelaide, the UK and Dallas in 2025, so there is obviously a demand for LIV Golf. The Saudi league is in its infancy and as we all know, new ideas or businesses always take a long time to reach their full potential.
However, one of their big problems right now is the fact that they cannot offer world ranking points.
LIV switching to 72-hole tournaments could change everything
It was confirmed earlier this week that LIV Golf is set to switch up their format to 72-hole events.
And that decision could prove to be vital for them moving forward.
Earlier this year, Xander Schauffele’s father claimed the main reason why his son didn’t join LIV after being offered a $150 million deal was due to the lack of world ranking points on offer with the Saudi-backed league.
Xander’s father, Stefan, said: “LIV could have doubled that figure ($150 million) and the answer would have still been ‘no’, he said. The lack of world ranking points and being potentially frozen out of the major championships wasn’t worth it.“
It would have been a huge worry for the likes of Jon Rahm Joaquin Niemann, Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka when they began to tumble down the rankings.
Even Bryson DeChambeau, who has performed incredibly well in the last eight major championships, is now ranked 23rd in the world.
However, LIV making the change to 72-hole tournaments will stand them in good stead regarding their application to the OWGR to obtain ranking points.
If they do gain recognition from the OWGR, they may well be able to poach more stars from the PGA Tour and if that happens, then Watson’s original prediction may end up coming true.
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