With the right chess pieces in place, a chess master can checkmate their opponents. However, one wrong move, and the game can turn sideways. Well, this chess analogy can also be used to evaluate the big LIV golf trade that involved Talor Gooch and Matthew Wolff.

Whether it was a smart move made by RangeGoats GC’s captain or an overly optimistic one remains a matter of contention. While Bubba Watson has called this move his “most educated guess.” Whereas, some golf fans have gone to the extent of terming Watson as “not the sharpest knife in the drawer.” So which one is it?

Evaluation of Bubba Watson’s decision using golf history

At the surface level, trading the league’s individual title winner for the year 2023 with a player who finished 27th in the 2023 standings surely seems like a bad decision. After all, why would you let go of a sure-shot diamond in the hopes of an apparent coal with the potential to turn into a diamond one day?

Well, Bubba Watson’s answer to this was fourfold. For starters, he thinks Matthew Wolff has long-range potential considering the age advantage he has over Gooch. Secondly, in the 45-year-old’s view, there is room for growth for Wolff. Thirdly, the altruistic captain thinks that this sends out a positive message about his team and the fact that he values his mates’ happiness. So for him, this was the “right thing to do.”

But was it a decision in RangeGoats GC’s favor? A clear-cut comparison of the golfing histories of both of these players gives Talor Gooch an advantage backed by facts. While Gooch had three LIV golf wins in the 2023 season, Wolff had none. Even if we were to consider top-5 finishes, Gooch’s total of five top-5 finishes, when put against Wolff’s 2, gives the former an edge.

Comparing the two players money-wise would make things clearer. While the new addition to Smash GC surpassed the $30,000,000 mark in 2023 alone, the latest addition to Watson’s RangeGoats GC earned a little over $4 million. But that’s just history. So is there a chance Wolff can turn things around?

What does the future look like for Matthew Wolff?

Well, taking Bubba Watson’s point into consideration, there’s always a chance that with enough hard work, dedication, and luck on one’s side, one can change their future. Considering the 24-year-old has a life full of potentialities ahead of him, Watson’s gamble might just end up working in his favor.

Read More: ‘So Savage’: Brooks Koepka and Talor Gooch Turn Into Jim and Dwight, Leaving the Golf World in Hysterics

Especially, his decision to bring in Peter Uihlein and switch out Harold Varner III in hopes of the former and Wolff striking a possible sync might help him realize his currently far-fetched dreams.

After all, Uihlein has big hopes for Wolff. According to him, “..He [Matthew Wolff] is the most talented player I think I’ve ever played with. No doubt he’ll be just fine.” 

What do we think? Well, as a fan rightly said, “Good luck to them!”

What do you think about this switch made by Bubba Watson? Will this rule out in the RangeGoats GC’s favor? Share your views in the comments section below.

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