MORE SO THAN ANY OTHER MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIP , the fracturing of men ’ s professional golf takes center stage at the Masters . A simple perusal of the list of past Masters champions tells you all you need to know about how difficult it is to ignore the precarious split between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour .

Recent LIV convert Jon Rahm is the defending champion . Dustin Johnson won the Masters in fall 2020 sans patrons . Patrick Reed won in 2018 , and Sergio Garcia in 2017 . Bubba Watson is a two-time Masters winner . Phil Mickelson has donned three green jackets . Even Charl Schwartzel has a standing invitation to the champions dinner . That ’ s seven members of the 48-player LIV circuit with lifetime exemptions into golf ’ s most revered championship .

Rahm ’ s departure from the PGA Tour felt like a seismic shift , a true superstar in his prime taking the leap and giving LIV players and supporters ammunition in the argument over which side holds

“ The biggest thing I feel like is that people are knocking it because they haven ’ t actually come out and experienced it .”

— PATRICK REED

higher esteem in the professional golf pecking order .

“ The biggest thing I feel like is that people are knocking it because they haven ’ t actually come out and experienced it ,” Reed said before LIV ’ s pre-Super Bowl event in Las Vegas in February . “ The reason is that people don ’ t like change . You start making a ripple into anything , and instead of actually sitting back and thinking about it and having a

clear head on it , the first thing is a kneejerk reaction .

“ There ’ s room for both . There ’ s that traditional 72 holes with tee times , that you go to the golf course at 4 in the morning and you watch guys warm up , and you can stay until dark . And then you need a faster pace because times these days , everything moves faster . Well , you have a 54-hole shotgun start so everything turns into a sprint . It ’ s just trying to evolve golf into a faster-paced sport , and kind of more with the times .”

The discussion won ’ t be settled in Augusta in April , or anytime soon , really . But as it seems like LIV is here to stay , fans should get used the continued presence of LIV players at golf ’ s first major . There are very few places left where all the world ’ s best players will gather , so anticipation will be high as everyone descends on Augusta ’ s hallowed grounds .

LIV ’ s presence was heavy in 2023 . Not only did Rahm win , but Brooks Koepka

USGA