'They Need Us' - Bubba Watson Calls For Top 15 From LIV To Qualify For All The Majors

Just how LIV Golf players get into the Majors is a big talking point about the sport's future, but Bubba Watson has reiterated the stance he's had since the start.

Paul McGinley set out his plan for the future of golf which included LIV golfers playing with their counterparts from the PGA Tour more often in Majors and also in PGA Tour Signature Events.

That particular suggestion did not go down well with Brandel Chamblee, who said "it would "cause uproar on the PGA Tour" to have LIV golfers going straight back into Signature Events.

The Majors have already started allowing LIV Golf players into their events though, with The Open joining the US Open in creating a pathway for qualifying while The Masters and PGA Championship offer a few special exemptions.

Two-time Masters champion Watson, though, believes there should be a broader and more uniformed pathway from LIV to the Majors, which would see a big chunk of the field being able to qualify.

"Yeah, I think that any chance we have to get into the Majors, get all of us playing together again, it’s always a good thing," Watson said at LIV Golf Singapore.

"My thoughts have always been we should just go off of our points list or our money list and have 15 guys from LIV be in all the Majors, the top 15 from the year before.

"That’s what I’ve always said. I’ve said it since day one."

Watson believes the pathways created by the R&A and USGA are a good start, but feels the Majors need more LIV golfers involved to attract more attention to their events.

"This is a start in the right direction," Watson added. "That people recognize that LIV is here to stay and that LIV is not going anywhere, and it’s only getting better.

"The Majors are seeing that, and the Majors realize for that one week that they have an event, they need us to join in there and play so we can get some media attention but also show how good LIV is and what team sport is all about."

Na and Niemann back Major qualifying plan

Watson's view is backed up by IronHeads captain Kevin Na, who told us in January that he was "pretty confident" LIV golfers will get a route into all four Majors - as he also called for a direct qualifying pathway.

Speaking to Golf Monthly, Na said: "I haven’t heard exactly what’s going to happen, but I’m pretty confident that - in the near future - we will get exemptions to Majors.

"It just has to happen because there are too many good players playing out here. I think, eventually, we will have a criteria from our League with a pathway straight to the Major championships, I’m not too concerned about that."

Joaquin Niemann has been a main benificiary of some special exemptions into the Majors - including a 2025 Masters invite alongside Denmark's Nicolai Hojgaard.

And the Chilean also supported the idea of using LIV standings as a qualifying criteria for the Majors when we also spoke to him in January.

"I would look at the rankings - whoever is the most consistent during the year has the chance to play at all the Majors next season," Niemann told Golf Monthly. "I would say the top-10 in the LIV rankings.

"LIV winners could be a way to do it, too, because if you are winning tournaments then you have a chance to win Majors. But, at the end of the day, I think it’s going to be pretty much the same with the top-10. They will all most likely win anyway."