Xander Schauffele vindicates Phil Mickelson for PGA Tour changes

Ever since the PGA Tour announced its big money changes to combat the threat of LIV Golf, much attention has been placed back on Phil Mickelson, whose quarrels against his longtime employer were seen to be acted upon in Jay Monahan’s lucrative announcement.

Even Mickelson himself wasted little time praising the part he believes he played in the revisions materialising, taking somewhat of a victory lap at LIV Boston before having another dig at the PGA Tour.

“It’s great that they magically found a couple hundred million.” he said. “Now [players are] being heard and things are changing. Things have gotten better for everybody in professional golf and I believe for the fans too, because they’re seeing golf in a different environment with LIV.”

And while there is no doubting LIV has had a seismic ripple on the golf ecosystem, facilitating the ever-growing changes being witnessed on the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and Asian Tour – the question still remains whether Mickelson was right all along?

Xander Schauffele has now weighed in on the debate, revealing how such changes inevitably fall back to his former Ryder Cup ally, whose “vision” is now being lived out on the PGA Tour.

“The main points he was trying to make, and what he really wanted in his vision, maybe we’re living it out now on the PGA Tour.” Schauffele told The Drop Zone podcast. “And it’s unfortunate he isn’t a part of that, because this is pretty much what he so wanted.”

Schauffele also admitted he feels Mickelson’s infamous interview with The Firepit Collective – in which he described LIV’s Saudi-backers as ‘scary motherf**kers’ was taken “kind of aggressively”, and was “unfortunate”.

“It’s unfortunate that he wasn’t able to get his point across or his point was taken kind of aggressively.” Schauffele continued. “Not out of context, but without him really knowing. It’s sort of every player’s nightmare. I guess that’s why we get scared to talk to you guys.

“He said what he said, so in terms of feeling bad for him, it’s hard. Whether he was emotional and behind closed doors, that’s one thing. But at the same time, he kind of knew it would take something drastic, and he had to pick which side of the fence he wanted to be on.

“He’s been such a staple on the PGA Tour and such a staple in our game of golf. I don’t hold anything against him or think of him much differently. Regardless of what people have written about him.”

As for Schauffele himself – who been linked with LIV on numerous occasions – the Olympic Gold Medalist revealed he did sit down with the breakaway league but, after not being swayed by an inevitable big money offer, now appreciates the financial gains afforded to his own “side” thanks to LIV Golf.

“I felt like it was stupid for me not to [speak with LIV Golf]. Everyone that’s gone over there has obviously gotten a lot of guaranteed money, and people that are on this side of the fence here are making more money because of the LIV tour and what they’ve presented.”