LIV rebel restokes fire with PGA rivals after rebels played down Masters tension

01 April 2023 , 08:08

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LIV Golf rebel Joaquin Niemann has been stoking the fire ahead of The Masters next week (Image: Getty Images)

LIV Golf rebel Joaquin Niemann may not have read the script as he claimed The Masters will be "more fun" in the knowledge that PGA Tour stars "hate us."

The fierce LIV Golf and PGA Tour rivalry that has split men's professional golf has been played down by several players ahead of the first major of the season at Augusta. Two-time Green Jacket winner Bubba Watson is one of 18 LIV renegades in the field next week and will attend a potentially frosty Champions Dinner with relationships strained.

But Watson has claimed "it's only awkward in the media" and that "he has nothing against anybody", while Brooks Koepka has also sought to rule out any tension. It is true that Watson and Koepka may not have burned bridges themselves during the ongoing civil war - but the American duo cannot ignore the public spiky comments and jibes made on both sides of the divide.

Rory McIlroy's breakdown in friendship with Sergio Garcia has been played out in the public eye and tensions simmered at the Dubai Desert Classic in the now infamous 'Teegate', after the Northern Irishman was dragged into a lawsuit by the maligned Patrick Reed.

Elsewhere, Fred Couples has called chief rebel Phil Mickelson as a "nutbag" and Matt Fitzpatrick has unequivocally claimed there should be no room for LIV defectors back on the PGA Tour. And Chilean star Niemann has admitted the undeniable tensions will make for an even more entertaining tournament on a rare reunion with his PGA Tour rivals.

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McIlroy and Reed were involved in a fiery spat at the Dubai Desert classic (Getty Images)

“I think it’s going to be more fun knowing that they hate us,” Niemann told golf.com. “Then go to the Majors and beat them. There is a big rivalry right now between the Tour and LIV. 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 that we take, but it’s going to be fun.

“Since they gave us the notice that we’re going to be able to play the Majors, I was like, it’s going to be so much fun those four weeks. Four weeks in the year against them, and try to beat them."

Ben Parsons