Xander Schauffele says people will 'laugh' about pro golf’s current 'fractured' phase in five or six years
Xander Schauffele believes that golf is ‘really fractured’ at the moment. However, the PGA Championship winner claims that the current phase of professional golf is ‘funny’ and people will ‘laugh about it’ in the future.
Schauffele’s comments come a year into the June 6 merger agreement between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. Replying to a media query regarding the progress made in the framework agreement, the 30-year-old golfer noted that the people will forget about it in the next five or six years. He dubbed it a ‘small blip’ in the golf world timeline.
The World No.2 golfer further exuded confidence in the unification of golf. He said the fans will “have what they want" when 'golf is back together' and everyone begins ‘playing golf together again’ in the future.
Speaking about the current condition of pro golf at the Memorial Tournament pre-event press conference, Xander Schauffele said (at 16:36):
"I imagine, in hopefully, I don't know what the time frame would be, but four or five years or I guess it might even be longer than that who even knows, but this will just be a small blip everyone will laugh about. ‘Remember when golf was really fractured and everyone was talking crap about golf and where it is and all that stuff.’ You'll laugh about it in five or six years.
I imagine golf will be back together, everyone will be playing golf again together. I don't know what that'll look like but I imagine people will be competing against each other again and the fans will have what they want in that respect. So that's what you want to see ‘back together.’”
Furthermore, Xander Schauffele noted that golf wasn’t the first sport to be ‘fractured.’ The eight-time PGA Tour winner claimed that “most sports” that have had similar situations have “come back together at some point.”
He stated the comeback would be ‘stronger’ and used the opportunity to give a nod to having a big name like Tiger Woods leading the movement.
Xander Schauffele admits to holding talks with LIV Golf
Xander Schauffele has been linked to LIV Golf for a while now. The most recent rumors connecting the 30-year-old golfer to the Saudi-backed series came last month. However, the player’s father came out to dismiss it. He said there was 'no chance' his son was making the move.
Now, Schauffele has admitted to holding talks with representatives of LIV Golf. The recently-crowned US PGA champion said that he had to “at least sit down and listen to what was being offered” before turning down the offer to join the breakaway tour.
Xander Schauffele said, as quoted by The Times:
“It’s funny, my friends used to send me screenshots of me as the favorite to join LIV. The odds were solely based on me not commenting much, but actions speak louder than words. I’ve shown up to play PGA Tour events week in, week out… I had to at least sit down and listen to what was being offered.”
The golfer claimed that he realized a prospective move to LIV “wasn’t really going to fit in” with how he envisioned his career to be. The golfer reiterated that he is committed to playing on the American circuit.