LIV Golf pro to Dustin Johnson: "I proved you wrong!"

Talor Gooch has opened up on Dustin Johnson's smack talk in the LIV Golf League.

27 Apr 2023

LIV Golf pro to Dustin Johnson: "I proved you wrong!"

LIV Golf player Talor Gooch says he 'kind of' proved Dustin Johnson wrong with his victory in Adelaide.

Gooch is currently in Singapore and will play the fifth rival league event of 2023 with a considerably boosted net worth.

The 31-year-old American scooped the top prize of $4m at The Grange despite very nearly blowing a 36-hole, 10-shot lead.

Gooch prevailed in the end but he said the victory was 'bittersweet' because the RangeGoats didn't win the team element.

The team captain, Bubba Watson, didn't appear immediately bothered with Gooch's win. Here's why.

As for Gooch, he was previously a part of Johnson's 4 Aces side but was traded in the off-season for Peter Uihlein.

Gooch has told the 73rd Hole Podcast that his decision to leave was so he could team up with Harold Varner III, one of his good buddies from college.

Varner was in the headlines before the 87th Masters for calling out LIV players claiming they are 'growing the game'.

As far as Varner sees it, they are just growing their wallets and he tells them as much.

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Gooch told the podcast:

"DJ has talked a little smack to me over the last few months and he more or less said, after Miami, y'know, 'Enjoy Miami because you're never going to see this again.'

"It's been a motivating factor, a driving factor [for me] and the team to go and get on the podium and get a win as a team. So I kind of proved DJ wrong.

"Going into that final round I was locked in and ready to go and have a really good round and help propel us to win a win.

"So, honestly, it was a little bit bittersweet because we had a lead going into the final round and I didn't help our team win so that was frustrating."

He added:

"What makes LIV so unique and cool is that team aspect. In every other scenario, having a 10-shot lead you're more or less cruising on Sunday and trying not to go shoot 75 or 80.

"For me, I was out there trying to shoot 65 for the team and so the intensity is high and the motivating factors are high."

Asked about his decision to join Watson's side, Gooch said:

"Yeah, HVIII and I are really good buddies and going back to college golf we've been tight.

"From the jump with LIV we talked about teaming up and obviously last year with the 4 Aces we had such an incredible year and it was a tough decision.

"But I keep telling people if you have the opportunity to go and team up with one of your best buds, like, how can you so no that?

"It was tough but, ultimately, I wanted to go and team up with one of my best buddies and go try and win tournaments.

"We haven't been able to do that just yet but with DJ talking some smack to us it's ever the more motivating to go and win to beat the 4 Aces."

Johnson is one of the favourites to win this week in at Sentosa Golf Club. He is celebrating his one-year wedding anniversary to Paulina Gretzky.

The venue has signed a six-year deal with LIV to host the rival league through to at least 2028.