It was seen as an… unusual… trade, but at least for the first instance in LIV’s short timeline there was spice to its teams component. Brooks Koepka, the captain of the Smash GC team, contacted RangeGoats GC captain Bubba Watson to start trade discussions. He wanted Talor Gooch – who had won three LIV events in 2023 and claimed its $28 million ($US18 million) season-long individual points race – on his team. In return, Watson took youngster Matt Wolff, who was ranked 27th in points on LIV’s standings. Hardly a good deal for Watson. To top it off, Wolff, who had spent the year on Koepka’s side, had feuded with his captain. Koepka, a five-time major winner, publicly questioned Wolff’s work ethic and fitness.
But the trade was done. Gooch, who had played for Dustin Johnson’s 4 Aces in season one, then Watson’s RangeGoats, was starting to become LIV’s equivalent of Jimmy Butler in the NBA – a gun for hire.
“I would rather be compared to Jimmy Butler than James Harden,” he laughs. “When I first got to LIV, I didn’t have a team; I actually was a captain in the first LIV tournament in London and drafted by the team. So technically, I’ve had four teams.” We caught up with the 2023 LIV Golf Adelaide champion to get his take on the move.
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Australian Golf Digest: So, why the trade to Koepka’s team?
Talor Gooch: Well, he and ‘Wolffie’ kind of had some struggles and he was like, “You know what? I’m just going to get you (Gooch) on the team next year.” I thought he was just joking. But once the seed was planted in my head, I was like, I get a chance to team up with you for the next 10-plus years or however long we want to do it? Let’s let them make this happen. Obviously, we had great success with DJ (Johnson) in 2022 and then as things were changing within the league, I wanted to play with Harold Varner [on RangeGoats]. We had a decent year, but the results weren’t as great as [with 4 Aces]. So, it gave me that desire to want to get back to winning as a team more often and, once Brooks called, that’s worked a pretty good one-two punch. He’s a reigning major champion [2023 PGA Championship], and I want to build something long-term together. It’s exciting. I think what makes other sports great is you have the off-season trades, and you have the manoeuvring of teams and players and you have the whole other business aspect behind the actual game. That’s exciting both for fans and for players. We’re starting to get golf to be like other sports, where there’s some drama.
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What do you think you can learn from Koepka?
I love being around great players, around guys who are going to push me. It’s going to be tough to beat Brooks day in and day out. I know if I can put myself up against him in the practice rounds and weeks off and we’re working together, it’s going to make me better. [Watching] the way he practises, the way he attacks and manages a golf course and also his mindset about how he approaches tournaments.
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How excited are you to welcome two-time major winner Jon Rahm to the league?
It’s beyond exciting and continues to validate the credibility of the type of golfers that LIV has. He’s going to have to play some damn good golf to win tournaments and compete at a high level. To have another guy to learn from and to try to beat week in and week out is going to be amazing for all of us on LIV.
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As it stands, you’re not exempt into any of the majors in 2024. How do you plan to qualify?
I haven’t even thought that far ahead, to be honest. I have a little bit of a bone to pick with the USGA, which makes me not even [want to] try to qualify for the US Open (the USGA changed a criterion for the 2023 US Open that meant a golfer had to not only have qualified for the PGA Tour’s Tour Championship in 2022 but also have been eligible for it, and Gooch had earned enough FedEx Cup points to get into the Atlanta finale but was banned after he joined LIV). I’m playing some of the best golf of my life. I know that if I get into the field for the US Open, I’m going to have a chance to win, so… of course I want to play in all the majors. As the year begins, hopefully, we can figure out how to get that done and if qualifying is one of the routes, that’s something I’ll look at for sure.
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How excited are you to defend your LIV Adelaide title?
I can’t wait to get back. I really played some great golf at the Grange but also respected the golf course and managed my way around those firm fairways and quick greens and shaved areas. My caddie [Mal Baker] is Australian and he was in his element. I can’t wait to do it all again in April.
