Rebels will not wear LIV Golf logo at Masters ‘out of respect’
The LIV Golf rebels have agreed not to wear the logo of the Saudi-funded circuit at this week's Masters.
Telegraph Sport has learnt that there was a meeting between the 18 golfers in the field who are contracted to Greg Norman's LIV league in which they decided to ditch the branding on their bags, shorts and caps “out of respect to the tournament”.
Those without existing deals with apparel sponsors will still don their LIV team outfits – and it remains to be seen how the green jackets will react to the garish colours of Bubba Watson's Range Goats team – but for this week at least the distinctive LIV emblem will stay in the wrappers.
It is unclear if Augusta National requested this move. Before last year's BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, Keith Pelley, the DP World Tour chief executive, asked the LIV players if they would “kindly not wear LIV-Golf branded apparel”. The majority concurred, although there were exceptions with Ian Poulter in LIV gear.
As it is Cameron Smith, the Open champion, revealed he has brought replacement outfits for the week, just in case Augusta bans the LIV players from even wearing their team uniforms.
“I have another set of clothes made up this week without them [the team logos],” he said. “We haven't really heard much from Augusta National about the logos, and for me personally, I'm really proud of where I'm at and what I'm doing. Unless it's a problem for these guys, I'm going to wear it.”
Last week in Orlando, there was a concerted effort by the players to play down the tensions between themselves and the Tour loyalists going into the season's first major. And there was discomfort when an interview with LIV's Joaquin Niemann was published in which the young Chilean said “they hate us”. However, it was pointed out that the comments were made a few months ago.
Brooks Koepka was adamant that “all's good between us and the PGA Tour guys”, revealing that he spoke to Rory McIlroy, perhaps LIV's most vocal opponent, for half an hour at the start of last week.
Koepka went on to win the £3.25million first prize at the LIV event in Orlando on Sunday night before expressing how excited he was to be facing the likes of McIlroy and defending champion Scottie Scheffler.
“It'll just be good to see all the good players playing again in the same field,” the four-time major winner said. “It's the first time we'll have seen it in a long time and it's exciting. I do miss playing against Rory and Scottie and I'm sure they miss playing against us. That's going to make Augusta even more special. If a LIV player does win, I think it will be a huge statement for LIV.”
The LIV affair overshadowed the first day of official practice, with Fred Couples, the 1992 champion, asked not the traditional questions of how his practice partner Tiger Woods is playing – the duo went out for 18 holes with McIlroy and Tom Kim – but instead about recently calling Phil Mickelson “a nutbag” and Sergio Garcia “a clown”.
“If one of them wants to stop and ask why I'm picking on them, then I'm all for it,” Couples said. “But I don't really think I've done anything horrific. They're making comments and I'm replying to them. That's it.
“I have no problem with any of them – just please do not bash a Tour that I have 43 years invested in. It bothers the hell out of me. They don't bother me. They really don't. But this Tour-bashing does.”
