How to Solve a Problem Like…. Majesticks GC

The disruption to world golf over the last three years has been either a good thing or a bad thing, depending on which side of the fence you’re sitting on.

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With LIV Golf set to begin its 4th season in 2025, the growth of the Saudi upstart league has no doubt been a surprise to the majority of fans and pundits alike, particularly on the back of the impressive and growing roster of players on their books.

The strength of the teams that have been assembled will always be scrutinised and when looking at the teams, you can categorise them into three groups.

1. Elite Teams – Smash GC, Crushers GC, Ripper GC, 4 Aces GC, Torque GC, Legion XIII GC.
2. Solid Teams – Fireballs GC, Stinger GC, Cleeks GC
3. Poor Teams – Hy-Flyers GC, Majesticks GC, RangeGoats GC, Ironheads GC

As with all opinions, some will agree on the list, some won’t but whilst the majority of teams are looking to improve their rosters, the one team that has been steadfast in its approach to date has been the largely British based Majesticks GC, who have remained loyal to the the 4-man team put together, despite statistically being one of the worst sides on the roster.

Led by co-captains Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Henrik Stenson, three stalwarts of European Golf, the side is completed by Englishman Sam Horsfield. Many pundits and fans have questioned the make-up of the side, accusing the captains in particular of being there for the money only and looking in from the outside, there are reasons to back up this subjective point.

Since the end of the season, a distinct majority of players on the LIV Roster have played in events across either the Asian Tour or DPWT but conspicuous by their absence, the 4-man Majesticks GC side have yet to play in an event since September, yet so far their has been no indication of the Majesticks looking to improve their position on LIV by working hard on their game and playing in other tournaments to build some form for the 2025 season.

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So the curious case of the Majesticks GC team needs a solution as to how it can make the grumblings go away with Editor Andy Moore giving 5 ideas as to how to improve their status.

1. Make Majesticks GC All British – This essentially means moving Henrik Stenson on and bringing in a solid British player or even two that can improve the side straight away and make them competitive. For Stenson fans, have no fear, the rumoured Scandinavian side need an experienced pro to guide them through the next few years.
2. Who’s Your No1….? – Their are many ways to go here but if we’re looking English in particular, the obvious candidate is Tommy Fleetwood. The rumours of him making the move to LIV are never far away and for a man in the prime of his career, Fleetwood could have a similar impact as to Hatton coming across and being a Top-5 player across the whole league. He immediately improves the side and would be a future on-course captain.
3. Westwood and Poulter – Look we all know where the strength of these two players lie. They have been outstanding for British Golf over the last 20 years and deserve their swansong as such. That being said, they need to be relevant on the course for as long as possible. Westwood showed signs at a couple of events in 2024, whilst Poulter was at best average. If as co-captains they are to keep themselves on the team, they are clearly 3rd and 4th choice at best. Knowing their place and value is vital, knowing when the time is right to transition to non-playing captaincy role needs thoughtfulness. Showing a desire to have a renaissance of such would be an awesome story for one or both of them and knowing they need a strong Number 1 is crucial, as is a solid Number 2.
4. Number 2 – Unfortunately Sam Horsfield isn’t that number 2. Again he has shown glimpses of who he could be and injuries didn’t help his cause in 2024 but if we’re honest, he never pulled up many trees on the DPWT, a career high ranking of 64th tells you all you needed to know. Youth is one of the ways forward and should the likes of a Matt Fitzpatrick or Aaron Rai suddenly find the urge to join LIV then that is the way to go, however unlikely that is. If not, would the best short-term solution be a move for a guy having a a late career purple patch, the solid guy we all need, Richard Bland. He fits the bill, English and 2024 saw him finish inside the lock zone. Add into the mix, the uncertainty around the Cleeks, and it just starts to make sense. Got you thinking hasn’t it?
5. And Finally…. – Continue their amazing work off the course. This is where the Majesticks look to be blowing most, if not all the teams out of the water. Their amazing Little Sticks programme is what it should be all about, growing the game and taking golf to a new generation of fans. You have to applaud the team and those behind the scenes for their work on this. Whilst it may not be going as well on the course, they have this part of their team plan going swimmingly. Their social media presence is good too, you can quite easily see the many different steps they could take their team when off the course. Who wouldn’t put it past them having the first course under ownership or having a YouTube series bringing through an academy of potential Majesticks stars.