Dustin Johnson hopes the world's premier golfers can one day "co-exist nicely" and now fans will find out when LIV Golf breakaways tee up at the most-anticipated Masters in years.
European and PGA Tour stars, led by outspoken loyalist Rory McIlroy and world No.1 Scottie Scheffler, will collide at Augusta National with LIV members including Johnson, Australia's reigning British Open champion Cameron Smith and three-time Masters winner Phil Mickelson for the first time since golf's civil war divided the sport like never before.
The Saudi-backed LIV league, headed up by front-man commissioner Greg Norman, shelled out some half-a-billion US dollars alone to lure Johnson, Mickelson and Smith, prompting the PGA Tour to suspend the superstar trio and every other defector from what had long been the richest tour in golf.
But with golf's four majors run independently, it's open season at Augusta, freeing up 18 LIV players to tee up for the first round on Thursday.
Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, two-time champion Bubba Watson and chief LIV provocateur Patrick Reed are among the other heavyweights returning in what shapes as a potentially explosive Masters.
"There's a lot of chatter going around about 'these guys don't play real golf anymore'. And I think it's B.S. to be honest. And we just want to show people that," Smith said ahead of this weekend's 54-hole, no-cut LIV Golf International Orlando in Florida.
As the first two big dominoes to fall in golf's bitter power struggle, Mickelson and Johnson have borne the brunt of the fierce flak flying at the so-called LIV "rebels".
But while Mickelson claimed he was looking for "balance" in his life when explaining his decision to leave the PGA Tour, Johnson called a spade a spade.
"The decision to join LIV, I mean, it probably just came down to the offer that they made me. For me, it was playing less, making more money. Pretty simple," Johnson revealed on the recently released Full Swing series on Netflix.
"If someone offered anyone a job doing the same thing they're already doing but less time at the office and they're going to pay them more, I'm pretty sure you're going to take it and something's wrong with you if you didn't.
"It's not up to me, but hopefully one day we can co-exist nicely."
Johnson's wife Paulina, the daughter of ice hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, says her husband made the right decision for their young family.
"I don't think Dustin would ever make a bad choice for his children, and people at the end of the day have to understand that's who he chose this for," she said.
"This is about Dustin and the kids and me and taking care of us - and being there with us."
Either way, Johnson said "I don't really care" and warned the doubters to write off the 2020 Masters champion at their peril.
"I know I'm one of the best golfers in the world. I've proven it over a long period of time. When I show up for a major, I'm going to be there to win and they can have their opinion," said the former world No.1.
"I feel like my reputation as a golfer is already kind of set. So I don't think there is anything to prove."
The 87th Masters starts on Thursday, with world No.5 Smith spearheading a five-strong Australian challenge also featuring 2013 champion Adam Scott, Jason Day, Min Woo Lee and amateur sensation Harrison Crowe.
Scheffler is the defending champion, while 2022 runner-up McIlroy is continuing his quest to complete a career grand slam at Augusta.
