Are LIV Golf and PGA Tour different? Both are golf. right? But when LIV Golf was conceptualized, the idea was to make golf louder. Global too. And so far, they have shown a sense of what that is. “We are different, though. We’re a global sports league. So our first 4 events were in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; then we went over to Adelaide, Australia; then Hong Kong; and now we’re in Singapore,” Scott O’Neil stated that when describing LIV Golf’s journey, and how it caters to being global. And there is some comparison with another ‘league’ of a similar standing as well. The Formula 1. “Other than LIV, F1 is the only truly global sports league. They have teams, and we have teams, and it’s very different for golf to be a team sport. You’re definitely playing in a premium market like F1 has,” O’Neil explained. This ideology makes it a different experience compared to the PGA Tour. Recently, two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson, who left the  Tour in the summer of 2022, went on a podcast to candidly discuss the key differences he felt separated the PGA Tour and LIV Golf.

Speaking on the Pat McAfee show, Bubba Watson outlined some of the key differences between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf. “There are no more cuts. So we are there for the whole week. I try to go in on Monday to get some practice because nobody is out there,” Watson stated. We all know by now that the format at LIV is very different compared to the PGA Tour. On the PGA Tour, events are across four days, with half the field cut after two days of golf, i.e., it is a 72-hole affair with one round played per day. LIV, on the other hand, has a 54-hole format with no cuts. That means all players get to play all 54 holes and earn a small portion of the prize money, no matter where they finish on the leaderboard.

Bubba Watson also has the added responsibility of being a captain of a team, the RangeGoats GC, which is another thing the PGA Tour does not have. There is also a team title at stake during every event, which is based on the individual scores of the players who are part of the team. “We have time off. Being able to spend time with my kids and watch them play sports is a dream come true. And they love watching me play golf. My son’s getting old enough now; he can walk all eighteen holes and follow me. So it is a blast out there,” the two-time major winner further explained.

The Formula 1 format LIV follows might seem easy out there, considering the free days and break time in between the events. However, it comes with a caveat. All players are expected to play at all events. While this might seem a no-brainer, it does come with its set of hurdles and obstacles to overcome.

“There are 40 events. For me, you pick your top 20 courses you believe fit your game. Now on LIV, it is tougher because you have 14 weeks. You have to play on all 14. No matter if all the courses suck for you or if all courses are good for you. You have to change your game and try to figure out your game and how you can play and attack each course. Even though it might not be the courses you want to play at,”  Watson added.

Having a fixed schedule does make things straightforward, but difficult. Like Bubba Watson explained, you can’t just pick and choose your battles. You will have to brave difficulties and drive forward with purpose when you have the advantage. That is the tough part about LIV’s golfing schedule. And so far, Watson has been enduring the tough part.

Bubba Watson’s 2025 LIV record

The two-time Masters champion is yet to register a victory on the Saudi-backed circuit. Watson has started the 2025 season comparatively stronger than his previous two seasons. He carded his best-ever finish at a LIV event when he finished T7 at LIV Golf Mexico. This is only his second top-10 finish on the circuit in three years, with his other top-10 finish coming in 2023 at LIV Golf Tulsa.

He is currently placed 29th in the individual points list, and it will be his best-ever finish on the LIV circuit if he maintains this across the coming events. It is a stark improvement from last season, where he finished 53rd in the points list and was exempt from relegation due to his captaincy status. However, his performances have improved this season, showing that his adaptability is finally kicking in. He followed the T7 in Mexico with a modest T17 in Korea and is looking forward to the Virginia leg in June.

Do you think Bubba Watson can recover and claim a much-needed title win on the LIV circuit this year?