Watson talks about Wolff LIV Golf trade: I knew the world would see this as dumb

Bubba Watson thinks trading Talor Gooch for Matthew Wolff in the LIV Golf League was a smart move, despite the potential criticism. Watson finalized his team for the 2024 league, emphasizing the positive aspect of trade deals between teams. The trade, which involved sending Gooch to another team for Wolff, drew attention due to Wolff’s struggles and public disputes. Watson justified the move by bringing in Peter Uihlein, a friend of Wolff’s, and said the combination of these trades made sense despite losing Gooch. 

Bubba Watson confirmed in a press conference that he always wanted Wolff. Although many hold back his qualities and often look back on his performances critically, Watson noticed a dose of talent in him that many did not. Wolff will have the responsibility to justify this kind of trust and convince everyone that he is a player for the great things.

“I’ve always wanted Wolff. I think Wolff is such a great talent and a great kid. Once I made the deal with the Aces for Peter, it was easy to make the deal with Smash because now I’ve got the pieces that I wanted to make this all work.”- Watson told the LIV Golf website, as reported by golfmonthly.com

Bubba Watson recognized that some people might think the trade was not smart, but he compared it to his earlier decision to join LIV Golf, which also faced doubt at first but is now seen more positively.  There is optimism that many more golfers will join LIV Golf, especially after Jon Rahm became a part of LIV Golf.

Watson pointed out that sports can be unpredictable, mentioning Aaron Rodgers’ injury this year as an example. He suggested that figuring out if a trade was successful can only be done after it happens. Watson sees the trade as a carefully thought-out decision, trying to make the best guess about how it will help the team in the future, just like how other sports teams make smart moves with their players. 

Matthew Wolff© Cliff Hawkins / Getty Images Sport

Watson is a person who wants to analyze many factors and make the best decision for himself and the team. And this time he did the same. The primary goal for him is for the team to go in the right direction and make huge successes. Wolff can be happy that after everything he will have the opportunity to play for a team that can provide him with a more promising future. Watson’s team is certainly one of the interesting ones, and there will be huge expectations from them for what follows.

It is impressive how empathetic Watson is and how much he understands other people’s problems. This is exactly what all team captains should be like. Bubba emphasized that he, as a younger player, had mental problems that were not talked about much at the time. Despite everything, Watson tended to fight his ‘demons’ and push towards success. He understands Wolff and hopes that the future will bring more beautiful stories for him.

“I’ve always wanted to be on Matt’s side.  Always wanted to be in his camp because he’s young, right? I didn’t tell the world I had mental problems when I was in my early 20s, mid-20s. I wish I had somebody to talk with back then.

It’s no good for Bubba Watson to play golf or to be part of this world if I’m not going to help people. And so with Matthew, when I sat back and before I made the trade, the light bulb went off. This is my chance to help Matthew.”

Matthew Wolff is optimistic

Even though Matthew Wolff knows he’s super skilled, he thinks his struggles are more about feeling good mentally and enjoying the game.

Wolff believes being on a team with Bubba Watson will help him with this mental side of things. He wants to be in a place where he can do his best and just be himself. Joining this team feels like a good fit for him, and he’s hopeful that it will make a positive difference in his game. It is clear how much you strive to change some things in your career and start on the right path. The fact that Watson is his mentor can be of great help in the future.

Many believe that Peter Uihlein will be key to the progress of Wolff, and that he can have a huge influence on him.

Uihlein believes Wolff hasn’t forgotten how to play golf but might have lost his way a bit. According to Uihlein, Wolff just needs to go back to being himself, enjoy playing golf, and have fun doing it. Uihlein is confident in Wolff’s amazing talent and is sure that Wolff will do really well again.