Bubba Watson acknowledges tension was apparent between LIV Golf and PGA Tour players at the Masters Champions Dinner last year.
This year’s Masters Champions Dinner is the responsibility of LIV Golf rebel Jon Rahm after he finished ahead of Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson at Augusta in 2023.
Watson, 45, attended the gathering alongside fellow LIV members Charl Schwartzel, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia. Scottie Scheffler hosted those six and 26 other former champions, plus Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley.
Despite being the first Masters following the launch of LIV, the elephant in the room was not even mentioned inside the clubhouse across the evening. Mickelson is said to have scarcely spoken 12 months after skipping the dinner and tournament for personal reasons. Fred Couples and Gary Player also purportedly put their grievances with the league to one side.
A year on, Watson is anticipating an altogether different atmosphere. “It will be different to last year,” he has proclaimed to the Telegraph.
Acknowledging that the awkwardness will have dissipated, Watson added: “The two sides, LIV and the PGA Tour, weren’t talking back then, but there are negotiations going on now. The PGA Tour was against us, but now they’re not. As it should, the night will be all about the champion and the great names in that room. And The Masters will be all about the golf.”
But that is not to say there will be no nerves in the room. Namely from Jon Rahm, who has taken his role as host seriously.
Last month, the champion stated during a media video call that they typically have no problems with public speaking and can talk about anything confidently.
This particular topic has been occupying their thoughts rent-free.
The thought of standing up in front of everyone in the room and speaking to all the champions is intimidating.
The speaker plans to speak sincerely from the heart, believing it will result in a better speech.
“It’s definitely not going to be prepared. I don’t know exactly what I’m going to say, but hopefully, one or two glasses of wine help me get a little bit more fluid in that speech.”
Rahm offers a variety of wines to go with his menu inspired by the Basque country in northern Spain, specifically Bilbao. He serves both red and white wines from his region to complement the dishes, along with an array of pintxos, the northern Spanish version of tapas.
Not everyone is aware of what to anticipate. Johnson stated to LIV’s media team that he has viewed the menu and believes it will be excellent.
Despite not being familiar with many items on the menu, he is aware that ham is included. After consuming ham frequently during his time in Spain last year, he is confident that it will be delicious.
Although he appreciates Spanish cuisine, he admits to not being very knowledgeable about it. Johnson anticipates that the food will be exceptional.