It’s no secret that at one point in the last couple of years, Xander Schauffele was strongly considering joining LIVGolf.
And who can blame him, given the immediate riches offered by the separatist tour.
Always, Schauffele finally said “no” and maintains its “neutral” position on the subject.
Ahead of this week Valspar ChampionshipSchauffele was asked about the prospect of LIV players returning to the fold if they wish.
From the outside, it appears that the majority of PGA Tour players have no problem with LIV players returning to their circuit.
Some, however, believe there should be some sort of financial penalty. Some don’t.
Players Director Peter Malnati went so far as to say after the Players Championship that no returning LIV players would get equity in the recently formed PGA Tour Enterprises.
“The guys who violated our policies will never be eligible,” Malnati said. “It’s a big deal. It’s a really big deal.
“So I think if we find a way for guys to come back, there will definitely be safeguards in place to protect the Tour members who stayed.”
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A reporter asked Schauffele: “Being in your position, would you be bothered by someone from LIV coming back and keeping all the money you refused or chose not to take, regardless of how you look at it?”
He responded, “I think that goes into the boat of acceptance for me, if we want to run this kind of program on your question here.
“I have to accept whatever decision I was going to make a long time ago regarding what you just mentioned with the money and the move and their return and stuff of that nature.
“So I’m very happy with my current situation and I would have chosen differently if I — I have no regrets about what I did or what I’m doing, so I sleep very well at night, knowing where I am.”
Schauffele was speaking to reporters on the same day, the aforementioned Malnati and his fellow player managers – including Tiger Woods – met the president of the LIV and the governor of the PIF Yasir Al Rumayyan.
Details of this secret meeting in the Bahamas have been kept under wraps, but PGA Tour boss Jay Monahan said “constructive” talks had taken place.
Schauffele was asked what he thought the future would look like. For him, history tells us that sport will revive.
“I guess we would all play together again,” he said.
“I think that’s what the fans would want, I think that’s what television would want, and golf as a whole would probably be better off for it.
“Like all sports, when they’ve been fractured, they’ve always come together. So I’m just going to lean on the side of history.”
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