Xander Schauffele On Why He Turned Down 'Obnoxious' Money To Join LIV Golf

Xander Schauffele has confirmed he’s staying on the PGA Tour after a meeting with Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan.

The 28-year-old, a five-time winner on the PGA Tour, was a guest on The Zach Gelb Show on CBS Sports Radio, where he gave his reaction to the latest players to join LIV Golf, while revealing he continues to turn down the overtures of the Saudi-backed series.

On the show, Gelb asked Schauffele outright if he was staying on the PGA Tour. “Yeah I’m here,” he replied. “I met with Jay, we had a player meeting today. I met with Jay myself yesterday and I see myself right now trying to find a way to keep guys on the Tour versus being one to bail.

“I’m very happy with what’s going on the Tour for the most part and I feel like there’s enough here. I know we’re competing against a big pot of money that’s sort of never ending, you can strike out a million times but there’s still gonna be on that plate swinging so it’s a hard competitor to go up against but I feel like there’s enough on this Tour and enough talent to make it the best in the world and keep it the best.

“I’m not the first one to sit here and lie to somebody, the numbers being thrown around are very obnoxious. There are certain numbers that even fans of mine, if they looked at it and sit it they’d tell me I’m an idiot for not going, but right now, I’m 28-years-old, I want to win Major championships, I want to win PGA Tour events, and I really think we can make this product on the PGA Tour, it’s been the best and now there is competition, and we can keep it the best with the talent we have, we just kind of need to unify and keep it together.

“So to any one of my fans, words are words, and actions speak louder than words, and right now my actions are to stay on the tour and you’ll see me out here competing on the PGA Tour circuit.”

Since last week’s US Open, more players have jumped ship to LIV Golf, including Brooks Koepka, who joins his brother Chase at LIV Golf, and Abraham Ancer. When asked about Koepka’s departure, Schauffele expressed his sadness at not getting to go up against the four-time Major winner again, though did point out that removing him does remove some stiff competition.

“It’s a bummer,” said Schauffele on the news of Koepka’s departure. “I don’t hold it against any individual that leaves. Selfishly, it’s good, it’s competition, it’s good because he’s a four-time Major champion, when he’s playing his best, he’s the best.

“He’s been number one in the world and carried that when he was there. I like to compete. People have their reasons for going and I guess I don’t hold that against them. Selfishly I’m sad that I don’t get to play against him any more at this moment.”

Both Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy have expressed surprise at Koepka’s decision to quit the PGA Tour for LIV Golf, where he joins the likes of Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed.

The second LIV Golf event, which gets under way at Pumpkin Ridge in Portland, Oregon on June 30th, will again be a 54-hole no cut competition combining individual and team formats for a purse of $25 million. The field has already been announced, though ominously there are still three spaces in the 48-man roster to fill.