AUGUSTA, Ga. — Tiger Woods is playing for just the fifth time since nearly losing his leg, or worse, in a horrific accident 26 months ago.
Scottie Scheffler is attempting to become just the fourth golfer to win in back-to-back years.
And 49 of the top 50 golfers in the world are in the field.
Yet, the biggest storyline out of the 2023 Masters has to do with a breakaway golf league that has caused the sport to fracture and has directed nearly all of the attention away from the course in the last year.
For the first time, LIV Golf has a major presence at the Masters. And a spotlight will be on the progress of the 18 golfers in the field who have defected from the PGA Tour to join the league financed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
Masters 2023 leaderboard: Get the latest news from Augusta
LIV Golf and the PGA Tour have become bitter rivals and many wondered what it would be like with golfers from both tours sharing the same locker room, range and putting green ahead of Thursday’s first round.
Especially after this warning from LIV’s Joaquin Niemann.
“There is a big rivalry right now between the Tour and LIV,” said Niemann. “I think there is a lot of players that — I don’t know if they don’t like us or don’t like the decisions (made by LIV golfers) — but it’s going to be fun.
“I think it’s going to be more fun knowing that they hate us, then go to the majors and beat them.”
But so far, it’s been nothing but handshakes and smiles … for the most part.
“I’ve noticed a tone …the tone has been really good here this week,” Masters chairman Fred Ridley said Wednesday. “I’ve noticed the players are interacting.
“Last night at the Champions Dinner, I would not have known that anything was going on in the world of professional golf other than the norm. So I think, and I’m hopeful, that this week might get people thinking in a little bit different direction and things will change.”
That is unlikely, not as long as lawsuits continued to be filed. But that is off the course. Other than a report of LIV golfers planning a celebration on or around the 18th green if one of them wins the tournament (verified by commissioner Greg Norman) and a few saying how much of a boost that would give the league, the reunion has been without controversy.
“It was good to see some familiar faces,” LIV’s Cameron Smith said Monday. “Lots of laughs and lots of handshakes. And it was really nice. I really wasn’t sure…
..
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Golfweek…