LIV Golf dismisses narratives, populating The Masters leaderboard

LIV Golf players had questions about how they’d perform in The Masters but, with half the spots in the Top 4 secured, they answered them.

After all the civil war drama between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, golf fans got what they requested: the best golf they could hope for with a full field of the greatest golfers in the world. The setting, of course, was The Masters.

And that included three players who silenced critics who said they couldn’t play anything but their 54-hole “exhibition” golf: Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, and Patrick Reed, all of whom dazzled on the final day at August National Golf Club.

Brooks Koepka delivers anything but disappointment at The Masters

First out of the gate was Brooks Koepka, who grabbed the lead from the outset, sharing it on the first day along with Jon Rahm and Viktor Hovland, then leading by three shots on Day 2, but started watching Rahm chip away from his lead by the conclusion of the suspended third round. Rahm’s relentless charge snatched the victory out from under Koepka, whose three bogeys on the front nine gave the opening that the Spaniard needed to achieve his second major at 12 under.

Despite the difficult loss, Brooks Koepka’s resplendent form is a celebration of hopeful brokered peace between the tours. Koepka’s probably one of the most neutral golfers to play on the LIV Tour, refusing to be dragged into much of the contentious drama that’s been blown out of proportion.

"“We’re still the same people,” said Koepka, according to ESPN. “So I mean, I know if I’m healthy, I know I can compete. I don’t think any of the guys that played this event thought otherwise, either. When Phil plays good, we know he’s going to compete. Reed, the same thing.“I think that’s just manufactured by the media that we can’t compete anymore; that we are washed up.”"

Koepka, instead, let his putter do the talking, even rising to the occasion on the back nine to try to catch up to Jon Rahm with three impressive birdies on holes 13, 15, and 16. It may not have been enough to make up the deficit, but Koepka’s return to form after two years of difficult physical injuries is a celebration. The Florida native regained his physical confidence while playing on the LIV Tour since last year, with his win in Orlando cementing his comeback.

Phil the Thrill: Mickelson shocks at The Masters at 52 years old

If you would have told me that Phil Mickelson was going to clock in his best-ever final round at The Masters this year, I would have said, “Shut up!” At age 52 and after a year of seemingly unending controversy and subpar performances on the LIV tour, I wasn’t sure what to expect from Lefty.

A lean and Zen-like Mickelson showed up at Augusta, putting in two focused beginning rounds, mixed in with a bit of turbulence in the third one after Saturday’s cold rain wreaked havoc. But clearly the greens of Augusta National had awakened the beast in Phil, with the three-time Masters winner powering up the leaderboard while others fell away.

It was spectacular.

Once again, in a major, Phil Mickelson made history.

“To come out today and play the way I did and hit the shots when I needed to, it’s so much fun,” Mickelson said, according to ESPN.

There were plenty of cheers for the six-time major winner and for a few days, golf fans could revel in seeing all their favorites play together in the same event once more, without having to worry about picking sides. Mickelson seemed to be as popular as ever, even if he mostly kept to himself at the Masters Champions dinner.

“It just reaffirms that I knew I was close,” Mickelson continued. “I’ve been hitting quality shots. This doesn’t feel like a fluke.”

And his run of eight birdies the last round—culminating in a -7 final day score—was a marvel to behold. Dressed in head-to-toe black, peppered with his LIV Golf team logo, and aviator glasses, Mickelson exuded a kind of cool calm that worked in his favor as he surged into the Top 2 spot. But even he couldn’t help copping a grin after ending up just four points off the lead.

"“Today is hopefully a stepping stone to really kick-start the rest of the year and continue some great play because I have a unique opportunity,” Mickelson said. “[Age] 52, no physical injuries, no physical problems, being able to swing a club the way I want to, to do things in the game that not many people have had a chance to do later in life.”"

What Phil Mickelson proved is that he’s as good a contender as anyone at any of the majors and he is still very much a formidable presence at the biggest tournaments. He’s also, according to many fans, a player who is greatly missed on the PGA Tour.

Patrick Reed’s surprising bump up The Masters leaderboard

Perhaps not as popular as affable Koepka, Patrick Reed also doesn’t have the decades of goodwill that Mickelson built up before the Saudi Arabia-LIV Golf blowup, so his defection to LIV was much less shocking. Like Phil, he also owns a Masters Green Jacket and made a run on the final day as well, ending with a fantastic 68 to tie things up with a fabulous Jordan Spieth and Russell Henley, posting a 7-under, and placing him well within the Top 5.

Other LIV players Joaquin Niemann finished T16 at 2 under, Harold Varner III (+1), Talor Gooch and Cameron Smith tying for T34 (+4), Abraham Ancer (+5), Mito Pereira (+6), Dustin Johnson and Thomas Pieters tying for T48 (+8), and Charl Schwartzel (+9) all made the cut.

At any rate, the performance of LIV players means the questions surrounding the Official World Golf Rankings are demonstrably relevant. As of Monday, all three catapulted in the rankings: Brooks Koepka climbed back from outside the Top 100 and into the Top 50 again, securing a 39th world ranking, with Patrick Reed joining him in the Top 50 club, moving from No. 70 to 45. The biggest seismic shift was accomplished by Phil Mickelson, who jumped from 425th to the new world No. 72.

But continuing to exclude LIV players from the ranking points isn’t the answer. As has been suggested by several who love the sport, the fewer LIV golfers who are eligible for majors, the more it damages the reputation of the OGWR criteria. Golf fans want the feud to end. Mostly they want to see all of their favorite golfers play, and for the rancor to go away.

For more from The PGA Tour, LIV Golf and The Masters, make sure to follow FanSided and stay tuned to our golf hub for all the latest news and results.