Xander Schauffele’s first major breakthrough at the PGA Championship came with significant perks. By sinking a birdie at the 72nd hole, he’s now exempt from that tournament for life and guaranteed a spot in the other three majors for the next five years.
Naturally, with this level of job security, there are rumors swirling about Schauffele potentially defecting from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf, where he could secure a massive paycheck. The speculation is understandable, given that LIV players often struggle to gain major access due to a lack of world ranking points.
However, Schauffele’s father, Stefan Schauffele, firmly put those rumors to rest. ‘No chance,’ he told Golf.com in an interview. ‘Xander is not chasing the money. Xander is about legacy. And as my opinion — just as his father — there was never a chance.’
Stefan Schauffele, who has been his son’s swing coach for his entire life, mentioned that the family had previously entertained LIV’s offers. ‘What we told LIV in Saudi Arabia, with Xander beside me, was that if there is no path back to the PGA Tour and if there is no chance at world ranking points, we do not have anything to talk about,’ Stefan recalled. ‘Even if you throw hundreds of millions of dollars at him. That word still stands.’
This isn’t the first time Stefan has been vocal about financial topics. At the previous year’s Ryder Cup, he suggested that players should be directly compensated for their participation instead of having donations made to their charities. This took a turn when he claimed that Xander nearly lost his spot on the U.S. team due to contract disputes. Rumors swirled that Xander and Patrick Cantlay didn’t wear their uniform hats during part of the Ryder Cup as a sign of protest over compensation issues, fueling further speculation of a potential jump to LIV.
So, what’s next for the newly-minted PGA champion? With his victory, Schauffele has moved up to No. 2 in the Official World Golf Ranking. However, he says he’s still chasing World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler. ‘Those are valid goals and they’re alive, more alive than yesterday,’ Stefan remarked.
Schauffele’s focus remains on his legacy and achieving the top spot in the world rankings, distancing himself from any notion of chasing the quick monetary gains offered by LIV Golf. As a favorite in upcoming majors, all eyes will be on him to see how he capitalizes on his current momentum.
Source: Espn
