WORTH NOTING
DIALING IT BACK. With four of the longest hitters in the league last season, the RangeGoats unsurprising ranked first in the league in driving distance. But they offset that by ranking last in accuracy, and that negatively impacted their greens in regulation numbers. The addition of Ben Campbell is a big step in helping the team become more competitive on shotmaker courses. The New Zealand native led the Asian Tour in driving accuracy in 2024 (97th in distance) and was 10th in GIR. “He’s just very solid,” said Peter Uihlein. “Doesn’t miss fairways. Hits it great. Putts it well.”
But there’s another factor that attracted Bubba Watson to Campbell over other players he considered – he fits the team’s culture. “I want a culture that is fun-loving, giving back,” he said. “I think Ben was the closest to that mindset. … When I interviewed him, when I interviewed people about him, it just kept coming up that he has great character.”
Another bonus with Campbell? He should give the team increased opportunity to thrive at places like Hong Kong, Singapore and Korea, at courses that he’s familiar with and has experienced success. “My goal is to finish top 24 (Lock Zone) and secure myself for another year,” Campbell said. “I think that’s achievable.”
BUBBA’S PUTTING. Watson ranked T49 in putting last year, negating his solid play from the tees and fairways. You can imagine where his offseason focus was during practice sessions. “If you give me two putts a day or just one putt a day, I look a lot better on paper, right?” he said. “That’s where I’m missing, the putter.” It’s still a work in progress. At the PIF Saudi International in December, Watson recalled a round with “36 putts. It’s not good when you hit 14 greens, and you have that many. Like, what are we doing?”
Watson sought offseason help from his teammate Uihlein, one of LIV Golf’s top putters (he ranked seventh last season). Uihlein told him to get a putting arc and just work on his stroke, not even bother hitting a ball. Watson also has switched to a mallet putter that he thinks will pay dividends with his speed. “It’s making me hit the ball a little harder,” he explained. “I’m known as a die putter. I leave a lot of putts short. But we played the other day and Peter was like, ‘Hey, man, you never left one short today.”
MATT’S MARRIED. Wolff tied the knot with his fiancée Kim Lloyd on Dec. 14. How involved was he with the wedding? “When I showed up, I was just as surprised as all the other guests,” he joked. “Kim did literally all the planning, and she killed it. Absolutely amazing.” Wolff did attend a food tasting to select the dishes, and he suggested Yucca as one of the sides. That decision played to rave reviews among the guests. “It was hilarious that people were talking about it, considering it was literally the only thing that I did,” he said.