Who is to blame for ‘splintering’ between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf?
World No.1 Scottie Scheffler spoke to the fans who might’ve become disillusioned by the sport’s division, as Matt Chivers reports from TPC Sawgrass…
If you were to say golf was “splintered,” Scottie Scheffler can tell you why.
The World No.1 was asked if players were concerned if golf fans have become disillusioned by the division between the PGA Tour, LIV Golf and the game’s increased fixation on money.
The Saudi-funded circuit has nabbed several stars from the PGA Tour with seven, eight or even nine-figure offers since its birth in 2022 such as Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau.
Scheffler points to these stars as the reason for golf’s civil war breaking out and still raging on to this day.
“I guess it’s a pretty broad question, and when you’re talking about a fan perspective, you’re talking about millions of people, so there’s always a lot of perspectives in that group,” he said here at TPC Sawgrass.
“It just depends on who has the loudest voice. At the end of the day, I think we’re trying to do our best to create the best product for the fans, but we can’t control whether or not guys want to leave.
“If guys want to go take the money and leave, then that’s their decision. I’m not going to sit here and tell guys not to take hundreds of millions of dollars. If that’s what they think is best for their life, then go do it.
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“I’m not going to sit here and force guys to stay on our tour. But at the end of the day, this is where I want to be, and we’re continuing to grow what we’re doing, and what
they’re doing is not really a concern to me.
“If the fans are upset, then look at the guys that left. We had a tour, we were all together, and the people that left are no longer here. At the end of the day, that’s where the splintering comes from.”
Scottie Scheffler: LIV Golf stars aren’t in my thoughts
LIV Golf, the breakaway league commissioned by Greg Norman and bankrolled by the Public Investment Fund, disrupted the long-standing, established order in men’s golf that had previously existed with the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour when it arrived in June 2022.
As well as American stars taking the plunge into the new league, several European figures such as Jon Rahm, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia jumped ship too.
Scheffler has certainly reaped the rewards for remaining on the PGA Tour. The American won his seventh title at the Arnold Palmer Invitational last week and he will look to defend his crown at The 50th Players Championship this week.
Speaking in Ponte Vedra, Scheffler revealed the players who left for LIV Golf rarely occupy his thoughts.
“I don’t really spend much time in my day thinking about them. It’s kind of one of the out of sight, out of mind things, and the people that want to be on this tour are still here, and the guys that want to compete out here are still here.
“So we’ve got a lot of great competition. I’m excited with the new tournament schedule getting the best players on our tour all together as much as we can, and I think we’re in a great spot.”
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Matt Chivers
Now on the wrong side of 25, Matt has been playing golf since the age of 13 and was largely inspired to take up the game by countless family members who played golf during his childhood.
Matt is a member at Royal Cinque Ports in Deal playing off a 5 handicap, just a pitching wedge away from his hometown of Dover where he went to school and grew up. He has previously been a member at Etchinghill and Walmer and Kingsdown in Kent.
Having studied history at the University of Liverpool, Matt went on to pass his NCTJ Exams in Manchester a year later to fulfil his lifelong ambition of becoming a journalist. He picked up work experience along the way at places such as the Racing Post, the Independent, Sportsbeat and the Lancashire Evening Post.
Matt joined NCG in February 2023 and is the website’s main source of tour news, features and opinion. He has reported live from events such as The Open, the Ryder Cup and The Players Championship, having also interviewed and spent time with some of the biggest names in the sport.
Consuming tour golf on what is a 24/7 basis, you can come to Matt for informed views on the game and the latest updates on the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, LPGA Tour, Ladies European Tour and LIV Golf.
What’s in Matt’s bag: Cobra LTDx LS driver, Cobra LTDx 3-wood, TaylorMade P7MC irons, Ping Glide 4.0 wedges, Odyssey putter.
