LIV Golf star Talor Gooch has grabbed the bull by the horns for his latest career venture.
The Oklahoma native has become the owner of a Professional Bull Riders team based in his home state.
GettyLIV Golf star Talor Gooch[/caption]
GettyGooch has become the owner of a Professional Bull Riders team[/caption]
GettyThe PBR team is based in Gooch’s home state of Oklahoma[/caption]
GettyThe Oklahoma Wildcatters will be based at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City[/caption]
Gooch has established a new company called FJS Ventures alongside Preston Lyon, the CEO/President of Lyon Sports Group.
Its first venture is the Oklahoma Wildcatters, who will make their debut in the 2024 PBR Camping World Team Series season.
The Wildcatters, who are one of 10 teams in the 12-event season, will make their inaugural homestand at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on July 12-14.
“Bringing a bull riding team back to Oklahoma where we intend to build a championship-caliber team in the state I love is a dream come true,” Gooch said in a news release.
“I’ve always been a PBR fan. Team competition makes the sport even more exciting, generates coverage and creates rabid local fan bases.”
Gooch was born and raised in Oklahoma and played collegiate golf at Oklahoma State University.
The 32-year-old competed on the PGA Tour before joining LIV Golf in 2022, earning the league’s Player of the Year award in 2023.
Gooch has not received an invitation to play at The Masters at Augusta in April despite winning three LIV Golf events last year.
And the world No. 449 caused controversy by saying that the major championship will be devalued by the absence of LIV Golf stars.
“If Rory McIlroy goes and completes his grand slam without some of the best players in the world, there’s just going to be an asterisk,” Gooch told Australian Golf Digest.
“It’s just the reality. I think everybody wins whenever the majors figure out a way to get the best players in the world there.”
It is unclear why Gooch singled out McIlroy over his frustrations but the Northern Irishman was quick to play down any beef between the two.
“The Masters is an invitational and they will invite whoever they think warrants an invite,” McIlroy said at the Cognizant Classic in South Florida.
“I think to be fair to Talor if you read the entire question and answer, it’s not like he just came out with that.
“I feel like whoever did that interview sort of led him down that path so I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt a little bit.
“He basically just agreed with what the interviewer asked.”