Bubba Watson hit by late transfer twist as LIV Golf move collapses before 2026 season

Bubba Watson has been left counting the cost of another turbulent LIV Golf transfer window after a huge late deal collapsed, forcing a dramatic U-turn at RangeGoats GC ahead of the 2026 season.

The two-time Masters champion confirmed on Friday 9 January that Matthew Wolff, Peter Uihlein and Ben Campbell will all return to RangeGoats GC this season — but it’s Campbell’s inclusion that has raised eyebrows across the game.

Just weeks ago, it was widely assumed the New Zealander was heading for the exit door after being released and entered into this week’s LIV Golf Promotions event.

BREAKING NEWS: Brooks Koepka applies for PGA Tour return weeks after quitting LIV Golf

Insiders believed Campbell’s days under Watson were numbered.

However, sources told Flushing It on X that RangeGoats GC were lining up a blockbuster replacement — PGA Tour pro and World No.33 Max Greyserman — in a deal believed to be worth eight figures.

But then at the eleventh hour, it all unravelled.

The Greyserman move is said to have fallen apart late in negotiations, leaving LIV Golf empty-handed once again and forcing Watson to stick with his existing roster. 

"It was thought that Ben had been released after he was entered into the LIV Golf Promotions event," wrote Flushing It.

"But sources indicate that a deal to sign a new player, potentially Max Greyserman for an 8 figure offer, fell through at the late stages." 

Campbell, once learning he was not getting the boot at RangeGoats, elected to WD from this week's LIV Promotions. 

The failed pursuit of Greyserman only adds to a growing list of PGA Tour stars snubbing LIV Golf ahead of its fifth season.

Despite not yet winning on the PGA Tour, Greyserman has posted multiple runner-up finishes over the past two seasons and was viewed as one of LIV’s most realistic big-name targets for 2026. 

Instead, he becomes the latest to say no.

That trend was underlined spectacularly last month when Brooks Koepka stunned the golf world by quitting LIV Golf.

Five-time major champion Koepka walked away from the breakaway league on 23 December, reportedly giving up the final year of a contract believed to be worth around $100 million. 

Koepka’s camp cited a desire to spend more time with family, with the American expected to play only the majors — and possibly a handful of DP World Tour events — in 2026.

LIV has also struck out in high-profile pursuits of Akshay Bhatia and Si Woo Kim.

Bhatia turned down a massive offer to join Phil Mickelson’s HyFlyers GC, opting instead to remain on the PGA Tour — and even link up with Tiger Woods’ Jupiter Links GC on TGL, a move that only deepened LIV’s frustration.

Si Woo Kim, meanwhile, rejected approaches from Kevin Na’s Iron Heads GC not once, but twice, publicly committing his future to the PGA Tour.

While the headlines paint a challenging picture, LIV Golf has not been completely empty-handed.

Victor Perez has joined Martin Kaymer’s Cleeks GC, while Laurie Canter has signed for the all-British Majesticks GC. 

Further moves are expected, with Thomas Detry tipped for Dustin Johnson’s 4Aces and Elvis Smylie linked with Cameron Smith’s Ripper GC — though neither deal is official yet.

Watson, for his part, remains defiant as his RangeGoats enter the 2026 season. 

“We’re looking forward to getting the 2026 season started,” he said in a RangeGoats GC statement sent to GolfMagic.

“Injury and illness hurt our momentum last year, so we're excited for a fresh, healthy start in 2026. We have all the talent we need; we just have to step up and compete all season long.”

RangeGoats GC showed flashes of promise in 2025, opening the campaign with a T2 finish at LIV Golf Riyadh, before fading to ninth in the regular-season standings and tenth at the Team Championship.

Watson himself enjoyed a resurgence, finishing 11th in the season-long points race, his best-ever LIV campaign.

Uihlein once again provided consistency, with two top-10 finishes including a T6 in Hong Kong, while Wolff flashed serious upside despite a back injury limiting him to 11 starts. 

Campbell, meanwhile, finished as the team’s second-highest ranked player, highlighted by a third-place finish in Singapore.

LIV Golf enters 2026 with a new 72-hole format, while retaining its shotgun starts and team events — but with elite PGA Tour talent becoming harder to lure, the pressure is mounting.

Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm of course remain headline acts, but the message from the market is becoming increasingly clear.

For LIV Golf, money alone may no longer be enough.