{"id":451993,"date":"2026-02-06T06:18:08","date_gmt":"2026-02-06T06:18:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/451993\/"},"modified":"2026-02-06T06:18:08","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T06:18:08","slug":"major-champion-sparks-liv-golf-chatter-after-late-wd-from-wm-phoenix-open","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/451993\/","title":{"rendered":"Major champion sparks LIV Golf chatter after late WD from WM Phoenix Open"},"content":{"rendered":"

J.J. Spaun has fuelled speculation he will join LIV Golf<\/a> over the next few weeks after withdrawing from the PGA Tour’s biggest party.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Spaun, the 2025 U.S. Open champion, was expected to participate in the WM Phoenix Open<\/a> at TPC Scottsdale this week.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But on Wednesday, the PGA Tour’s official communications team confirmed Spaun withdrew from the $9.6m tournament.\u00a0<\/p>\n

No explanation was given for his absence and he has been replaced in the field by Marcelo Rozo.<\/p>\n

There has been plenty of chatter on X that Spaun may be in talks with LIV Golf over joining Dustin Johnson<\/a> on the 4 Aces as a replacement for Patrick Reed.<\/p>\n

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WM Phoenix Open field update:<\/p>\n

J.J. Spaun – WD
Marcelo Rozo – IN<\/p>\n

\u2014 PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) February 5, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Reed followed Brooks Koepka<\/a> out the exit door last month after failing to agree terms on a contract extension with the breakaway tour.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The 2018 Masters champion will return to the PGA Tour<\/a> in August as he is “a traditionalist at heart”.\u00a0<\/p>\n

LIV are yet to announce Reed’s replacement.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Miguel Tabuena, of the Philippines, has stepped in this week and may feature at their second stop of the new season in Adelaide.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Would J.J. Spaun join LIV Golf?<\/p>\n

It does seem unlikely given last week Spaun described the American circuit as the “best, most competitive tour in the world”.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But he wouldn’t be the first player to surprise us if he decamped to the PIF-backed breakaway.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Bryson DeChambeau<\/a>, Johnson, Koepka, Joaquin Niemann and Jon Rahm<\/a> all released statements or said they would not be leaving the PGA Tour.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“I think Patrick will be a good asset to this Tour and I think it just speaks volumes to where the Tour’s headed,” Spaun told reporters at Torrey Pines.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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“I think to add even more competition for us that have been here while they left, and, you know, adding Brooks and Patrick now, it’s just strengthening our Tour, which I think is great.”<\/p>\n

LIV Golf began their 2026 season this week under the lights in Riyadh.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Once again, their off-season saw them fail to recruit a bona fide star.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It is understood they targeted Si Woo Kim, Min Woo Lee, Akshay Bhatia, Marco Penge, Aldrich Potgieter, Angel Ayora, Max Greyserman, Ryan Gerard and Daniel Berger about potential moves.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In the end, they signed<\/a> five players, with Belgium’s Thomas Detry the highest-ranked addition.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Detry has joined Johnson’s team alongside compatriot Thomas Pieters.<\/p>\n

Victor Perez, Elvis Smylie, Laurie Canter and Ben An were the other additions.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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