Jon Rahm overestimated influence of his LIV move – Xander Schauffele

Xander Schauffele believes Jon Rahm overestimated his influence on the resolution of golf’s “civil war” by joining LIV Golf.

Rahm shocked the golf world by joining the Saudi-funded breakaway in December, despite having previously pledged loyalty to the PGA Tour and criticized LIV’s 54-hole format with no cut and a shotgun start as “not a golf tournament.”

Before defending his Masters title in April, Rahm expressed hope that his move would expedite an agreement between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), following the Framework Agreement announced on June 6 last year.

During a press conference ahead of the Memorial Tournament, Schauffele was asked if more showdowns like his with LIV’s Bryson DeChambeau in the final round of the US PGA Championship could hasten the process. Schauffele suggested that only Tiger Woods could have a significant impact.

“I can think of one guy who would really move the needle, and that’s Tiger Woods,” the American said. “He only plays four or five times a year, but he really moves the needle, in my opinion.

“But thinking that an individual will make this whole thing go faster is probably thinking a bit too highly of yourself, to be completely honest.”

Schauffele continued: “I think it’s just going to run its course. There are a lot of things people don’t realize that need to happen for things to come back together and for everyone to shake hands and move along.

“A lot of damage has been done, and while it feels like we’ve been in this mess for a couple of years, it’s only been a year. It feels like forever.

“It’s going to take time for everyone to get on the same page. It might take four, five years, or even longer. But eventually, this will just be a small blip that everyone will laugh about.

“People will remember when golf was really fractured and everyone was talking negatively about it. In five or six years, we’ll laugh about it.

“I imagine golf will reunite, and everyone will play together again. I don’t know what that will look like, but fans will get what they want, with everyone competing against each other again.”