RangeGoats GC captain Bubba Watson explains that he had to trade off Talor Gooch from the team for Matthew Wolff, which might seem like a ‘dumb’ decision, but he did that to help Wolff at his lows. With only a few weeks remaining for the LIV Golf event too tee off at Mayakoba, Jon Rahm‘s team is yet to be decided.
On the other hand, Watson’s team looked lined up for the new season. But there’s a decision Watson took that might seem blasphemous to others. He traded his best golfer, Talor Gooch, to Smash GC for Matthew Wolff. Gooch had three triumphs in the LIV league last year, while Wolff’s performance was subpar. Even captain Brooks Koepka criticized his performance by saying, “one guy is not going to give any effort.” Wolff was naturally heartbroken by these harsh words as he dealt with mental issues. But Watson picked the golfer up and thinks his decision makes sense.
Why Bubba Watson Gambled Talor Gooch For Matthew Wolff
Bubba Watson is planning for something big as he welcomes Peter Uihlein. He also thinks that the Wolff and Uihlein combination will benefit him.
“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.”
Added to that, he continued,
“I knew the world would see this as dumb. But at the same time, if I’m taking a chance to come to LIV, people may have seen that as dumb at the time. And now people see it differently, right? Two years later, they’re like, ‘Hey, LIV’s not that bad.”
Watson took the example of Aaron Rodgers and said that he’s making a smart guess that, in two years, his decision will prove him right. Moreover, Watson wants to help Wolff with his mental challenges, as he never had anybody in his mid-20s. Thus, as a captain, he’s just trying to do the best he can for Wolff.
Wolff finished as the 2020 US Open runner-up when he was just 20 years old. Hence, he still has the skills but needs the proper guidance. Wolff also seemed hopeful about Bubba Watson and his capabilities.
“I know I’ve got a lot of skill…the main thing is just mentally making sure that I’m in a good spot…Being on a team with Bubba, I think he’ll definitely be able to help me out with that aspect.”
Even Uihlein thinks that Wolff will be back on track in no time with the potential he has and if the golfer is back in his form, he will take his team to new heights.
