As PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan expressed hope that a deal could be reached with the Saudi sponsors of the renegade LIV Golf series, Scottie Scheffler blamed the division of the sport on those who defected.
Scheffler and several others arrived in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, to play in the Players Championship this week. The field is missing top golfers like Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau and others because they decided to leave the PGA Tour for LIV Golf. But the defending TPC champion isn't exactly here to rave fans because technically the tournament won't feature the best players in the world.
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Scottie Scheffler holds the championship trophy after winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament on Sunday, March 10, 2024 in Orlando, Florida. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
“If the fans are upset, then look at the guys that left,” he told reporters Tuesday via ESPN. “We had a tour, we were all together and the people who left are no longer here. At the end of the day, that's where the fragmentation comes from.
“As far as our tour goes, like I said, we're doing our best to create the best product for the fans, and that's where we're really at.”
Scheffler added that he is not going to look down on others for accepting the money LIV offered. But he's still trying to build the best product possible with the players on the field with him.
ANTHONY KIM, WHO CHOSE LIV GOLF INSTEAD OF THE PGA TOUR FOR HOPED RETURN, FINISHES LAST IN THE FIRST EVENT
Signage during the LIV Golf Invitational – Las Vegas at the Las Vegas Country Club on February 10, 2024. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Monahan expressed confidence that a deal would be reached with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and that he would be the one to lead the sport.
He added that while negotiations are “accelerating,” the details should remain private.
“While we have several key issues we still need to resolve, we have a shared vision to silence the noise and unlock golf's global potential,” he said.
Still, the four rounds of the Players Championship are expected to begin with some key names on the roster. Justin Thomas, Will Zalatoris, Shane Lowry, Tony Finau, Wyndham Clark, Rickie Fowler, Harris English, Hideki Matsuyama, Matt Fitzpatrick, Keegan Bradley, Patrick Cantlay, Jordan Spieth, Tommy Fleetwood, Xander Schauffele and Rory McIlroy are just a few of the most important. names in the field.
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PGA Commissioner Jay Monahan on the 18th green after the Tour Championship on Aug. 27, 2023, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)
The first round begins Thursday at 7:40 a.m. ET.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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