Scottie Scheffler took aim at fellow golfers who defected to Liv Golf, blaming them for the current chaotic state of the sport
As men’s professional golf continues to face lingering tensions and divisions within the sport, Scottie Scheffler directed blame for the hostile climate towards those who defected to LIV Golf.
Speaking for just the third time since announcing a surprise “framework agreement” between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund — the backers of LIV Golf — PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan conceded on Tuesday that fans were growing “tired of hearing about conflict, money and who is getting what.” As negotiations between both sides continue to drag on with no end in sight, he sympathised with fans’ desire “to watch the world’s best golfers compete with history and at venues that they recognise and love.”
When asked if he and other golfers on the PGA Tour were worried about golf fans’ growing discontent with the current reality of the game, Scheffler didn’t hesitate to point fingers at others.
“If the fans are unhappy, Scheffler believes they should consider the players who have departed. He made these comments before The Players Championship, an event he emerged victorious in last year.
According to Scheffler, the division in the tour stems from the absence of certain individuals who are no longer part of the group.
Despite this, he emphasized that the tour is focusing on delivering high-quality content for fans and striving to improve their overall experience.”
“Scheffler has always remained steadfast in his commitment to LIV Golf, despite the hefty contracts offered to high-profile golfers.
He understood why some players chose to leave the PGA Tour for the Saudi-backed league in pursuit of higher earnings.”
Scheffler stated that he respects the decision of individuals who prefer to take the money and leave the tour. He believes it is their choice to make and he will not discourage them from accepting significant sums of money.
Although he will not compel anyone to stay on the tour, Scheffler expressed his commitment to remaining on the tour and focusing on its growth.
He emphasized that the decisions made by others do not bother him as he is content with where he is.
Even though they failed to meet the original deadline of December 31 for reaching a merger agreement, Monahan remains optimistic that a positive resolution is close.
Despite LIV Golf’s efforts, they decided to stop pushing for their players to be included in the Official World Golf Ranking. Scheffler, the current No. 1 player, believes the ranking system is unfair because of their exclusion.
Scheffler mentioned that some groups of male players are not receiving any ranking points. He noted that when some players went to LIV, their golf performance suffered in terms of strokes gained.
Despite being a good system, the world rankings are missing some players according to Scheffler.