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Bubba Watson said he's been consistent with his answer in regard to LIV Golf representation in the majors.
So, when Watson was asked about the topic again on the heels of the U.S. Open and The Open announcing formal qualification paths for players from the LIV Tour, he was only happy to share his thoughts.
"Yeah, I think that any chance we have to get into the majors, get all of us playing together again, it's always a good thing," Watson said Thursday at LIV Golf Singapore.
"My thoughts have always been we should just go off of our points list or our money list and have 15 guys from LIV be in all the majors, the top 15 from the year before.
"That's what I've always said. I've said it since day one."
A two-time Masters champion (2012, 2014), Watson knows a thing or two about how to win a major.
And while the paths created by the R&A and USGA have helped, Watson feels that an infusion of talent — yes, LIV talent — would go a long way toward getting eyeballs on the product.
"But this is a start. This is a start in the right direction, that people recognize that LIV is here to stay and that LIV is not going anywhere, and it's only getting better," he said.
"The majors are seeing that, and the majors realize for that one week that they have an event, they need us to join in there and play so we can get some media attention but also show how good LIV is and what team sport is all about."
The PGA Tour has banned LIV players from competing in its events since the latter's debut, save for majors. But LIV golfers do not receive Official World Golf Ranking points, thereby limiting their opportunities.
More must-reads:
- What is the future of LIV Golf? F1 Racing, new CEO says
- The best golfers who never won at the Masters
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Bryson DeChambeau divulges Scottie Scheffler's biggest advantage
We all know Scottie Scheffler is the best golfer on the planet by a fairly large margin, but what makes him so much more consistent than other stars in professional golf? Bryson DeChambeau, one of Scheffler's biggest rivals in major championships, thinks he knows the answer. In Tuesday's appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show," DeChambeau detailed how Scheffler dominates the PGA Tour weekly. "He's got the best spin and distance control I've ever seen," DeChambeau said. "He controls the golf ball from a spin perspective so much better than everybody else. Like, if you're 175 yards out, and it's 10 miles [an hour] into the wind, he knows how to control the flight and spin to get that ball to land right next to the hole every time. Probably since Tiger [Woods], he's the best that we've seen." The stats confirm DeChambeau's breakdown. Scheffler has ranked first on the PGA Tour in strokes gained on approach in three straight seasons. He also ranks first in proximity to the hole and greens in regulation percentage over the last four years. Iron play is Scheffler's superpower, but it wasn't always that way. "I played with him in college a bunch, and I've said it before, but he's definitely improved since college for sure," DeChambeau said with a chuckle. "It's impressive to see what he's done, and we're all aspiring to do that. That's something I've gotta get better at. I can hit it farther than him. I can hit it probably straighter than him. I can make just as many putts as him, but, really, it's about my iron play right now and wedges to get a little more consistent." Iron play is the biggest indicator of success in professional golf. If you're giving yourself more birdie chances from close range than anyone in the field, you're going to have the best chance to win by Sunday afternoon. No one is better at hitting specific distances more consistently than Scheffler. Just look at how accurate he is. DeChambeau has the best chance to catch Scheffler as the best player in the world because he's elite off the tee and on the greens, but that won't happen unless he makes a major improvement to his iron game.
Bears make big decision amid concerning Caleb Williams reports
Second-year Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and other starters were spectators for Chicago's preseason opener versus the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, first-year Bears head coach Ben Johnson confirmed things will be different when his club hosts the Buffalo Bills for an exhibition matchup this coming Sunday evening. "Everyone's going to play," Johnson said, as shared by Courtney Cronin of ESPN. Johnson added that how many snaps Williams will take versus the Bills is "to be determined." The Bears will first host the Bills for a joint practice on Friday. Johnson came to this decision following multiple reports detailing the supposed struggles that Williams has endured throughout training camp. Most recently, Monday’s practice was allegedly "a low point for" Chicago's first-team offense and featured "Williams and receiver Rome Odunze both looking frustrated" after some failed connections. "I've been pretty consistent with the thought of reps, reps, reps are the most important thing to get [Williams] up to speed," Johnson explained. "And by the plan that we had a week ago, we were able to get him probably somewhere between 80 and 100 more reps than we would've been able to do had he played in the game. This week, it's a different schedule. Different length of time in terms of in between games and all that. And so, our plan right now is the guys that sat out last week, they will be playing this week." Those running the Bears hope that the hiring of Johnson, an advertised offensive guru, will help Williams become a top-tier quarterback after the 23-year-old won only five of 17 starts during his rookie season. However, Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic is among those who have mentioned that Williams has been responsible for a noteworthy number of inaccurate passes this summer. "I think the trust that we've been talking about from the get-go, that's really where that comes into play," Johnson added about risking the health of his starters by playing them against Buffalo. "We haven't been here with this group as a coaching staff. That trust has been earning, and we've been developing that amongst each other. It's not a one-way street. It goes both ways. And so I think that's just another step in the progression, you know?" The Bears will wrap up the preseason with a game at the Kansas City Chiefs on Aug. 22. It's unclear if Williams or other Chicago starters will see any action that Friday night.
Browns' Shedeur Sanders could be losing valuable opportunity after injury update
Just when it seemed everything was going right for Shedeur Sanders, the Cleveland Browns' rookie quarterback caught an unlucky break on Wednesday. The 23-year-old QB was sidelined during Wednesday's joint practice with the Philadelphia Eagles after suffering an oblique injury. Per Kelsey Russo of the team website, the 2025 fifth-round pick won't practice Thursday and is considered day-to-day. He is deemed unlikely to play in Saturday's preseason game against Philadelphia, scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on NFL Network. Before Wednesday's practice, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed rookie QB Dillon Gabriel will start against Philadelphia as long as he's healthy enough to play. The 2025 third-rounder missed Cleveland's preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers because of a hamstring issue. However, Stefanski previously said Sanders would get more reps this week after a solid preseason debut. The former Colorado Buffaloes star received the start in the 30-10 win over Carolina, going 14-of-23 passing for 138 yards and two touchdown passes. Not playing against Philadelphia could disrupt Sanders' momentum. More importantly, it may eliminate another opportunity for him to overtake Gabriel in Cleveland's four-way QB competition. Sanders is listed as the Browns QB4 behind Gabriel, Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco on the team's unofficial depth chart. Despite questions about Gabriel's size (5-foot-11, 205 pounds), the coaching staff seems to favor him over Sanders. Earlier this offseason, Gabriel's processing speed reportedly impressed Browns coaches, giving him an edge over Sanders. The former Oregon Ducks star also received reps with the first-team offense during OTAs and mandatory minicamp, while his fellow rookie didn't. If Gabriel plays well against the Eagles, that would continue to affirm the coaching staff's confidence in the 24-year-old QB. Neither Sanders nor Gabriel is expected to be the Week 1 starter for the Browns. It's likely going to be Flacco, who helped Cleveland make the playoffs in 2023 when he went 4-1 during a late-season stretch. Still, another solid preseason showing could help Sanders position himself to replace 40-year-old Flacco in the future. With the setback, it may take more time to climb the depth chart.
Steelers May Be Lying About Crucial Injury That Could Seriously Affect Pittsburgh's Offense
The Pittsburgh Steelers don't have much of a choice when it comes to the organization's offense in 2025. The unit has struggled for years, but the arrival of four-time MVP and future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers is expected to change the trajectory of the group. The front office made a huge move to acquire DK Metcalf before the new league year, and he is expected to be the top target in the passing game. It will be fascinating to see who emerges as the second-most targeted individual, which is a role that many believe could belong to wide receiver Calvin Austin III. General Manager Omar Khan has been very aggressive throughout the 2025 offseason, but he also decided to trade George Pickens, who was thought to be the second piece of a dynamic duo that would have included Metcalf. After the deal that sent Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys, Austin was the first name to pop up as the second wideout on the depth chart. Unfortunately, the pass-catcher, who is entering a contract year, has been on the sidelines for nearly two weeks while battling a mysterious injury. Respected team insider, Mark Kaboly, recently gave his analysis regarding the practices in Latrobe, and he labeled Austin as the number one loser out of everyone that attended the highly-anticipated training camp. "I am not ready to dismiss Austin because I know how good he can be, but missing close to two weeks with an undisclosed injury isn’t good," Kaboly wrote. "The Steelers being vague about the injury more and more by the day makes it even more concerning. With Austin pretty much penciled in as the WR2 before camp, there is no way to label the past three weeks other than disappointing." The mystery when it comes to Austin continues to baffle fans and reporters, but gives a little bit of a reminder to how the wide receiver's first professional season went. He was labeled as injured early on in the camp of 2022, but eventually landed on Injured Reserve without playing a single regular season snap. It's concerning to think that this ailment could be much more serious than the team is letting on, as Kaboly suggested. Head Coach Mike Tomlin has consistently been saying that Austin is day-to-day, but he typically does not admit to the media that something more serious is going on, unless it's absolutely necessary. There could be something else brewing that not many people know about, so fans shouldn't be surprised if something ends up coming to the surface about Austin's situation sooner rather than later. The regular season is now around the corner, and the Steelers can't afford not to have a plethora of weapons for Rodgers on the offensive side of the ball. Kaboly recently reported that the organization may be back in the mix for a wide receiver addition, which only fuels the fire to his theory about something significant going on with Austin. Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith needs weapons, and the absence of Austin is hurting the development of an important positional group. Pittsburgh needs its offense to have a more dominating presence if a playoff run is the goal in 2025, so any kind of injury to Metcalf could seriously affect the unit's ability to put points on the scoreboard. Austin was envisioned to be a prominent and up-and-coming playmaker, but that notion may slow down very soon, if it hasn't already. The team needs someone who can be relied on if Metcalf is double-teamed, injured, or simply not having a good day. Steelers Could Make 1 More Splash Before 2025 Regular Season If Austin has more going on than many know about, the front office in Pittsburgh could certainly be looking at bringing in someone else to contribute. The tricky part is that Austin was allegedly going to be the number two option in the passing game. If the franchise truly believes the Super Bowl is within reach with Rodgers under center, it can't afford to acquire someone that won't contribute much.
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