Scottie Scheffler still has ‘no idea’ about the LIV-PGA negotiations progress – “I'm not really too much a part of it”
Scottie Scheffler has admitted to having ‘no idea’ about progress made in the ongoing LIV Golf - PGA Tour negotiations. The Masters champion’s comments come months after the American circuit’s players complained about being kept in the dark about the deal.
Responding to a question about the ‘slow’ nature of PGA’s negotiations with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF), Scheffler said he’s “not really too much a part of it.” He claimed to not know if the talks, led by PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan and other players like Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, are ‘going great’ or ‘going poorly.’
However, the 27-year-old claimed that there is no ‘frustration’ over the same. He reiterated that the deal is ‘out of his control’ and he is ‘not too worried about it.’
Speaking about the LIV-PGA negotiations in his pre-event press conference ahead of the Travelers Championship, Scottie Scheffler said (at 6:06):
“I have no idea. I'm not really too much a part of it. And I haven't really heard too much. So, I don't know if they're going great or if they're going poorly. But hopefully they'll continue to progress but we'll see. But definitely no frustration or anything like that for me. It’s out of my control so, I'm not too worried about it.
They have a lot of big business decisions to make. And as far as my opinion goes, I sit on our PAC. But as far as input in the negotiations I don't really have much to say at all. So, frustration definitely not but we'll see how things progress.”
It is pertinent to note that Scottie Scheffler's comments come just days after Jay Monahan claimed to update the PGA Tour players regarding details of his side’s meeting with Saudi officials in New York. In the memo, acquired by Golf Channel, the American circuit chief expressed optimism about the deal. He claimed that the talks were “moving forward.”
Scottie Scheffler's 'worrisome' comments about PIF deal in 2023
This isn’t the first time Scottie Scheffler has admitted to players being kept in the dark about the ongoing LIV-PGA negotiations. Earlier in July 2023, the World No.1 golfer came out to express his dismay at how the initial framework agreement in the deal was rolled out.
After the PGA Tour’s testimony at a Senate Subcommittee hearing, Scheffler revealed that none of the players were “involved in the original framework agreement.” The golfer said that he wasn’t getting “too involved” in the deal, which he reiterated in the presser on Wednesday, a year from his original statement.
Speaking from The Renaissance Club in Scotland, Scheffler said that the lack of information for players in the matter was “a bit worrisome.” However, the two-time major winner reiterated that he also respected the privacy of the move. He said he’ll continue to ‘keep his head down and play golf.’