Xander Schauffele and Scottie Scheffler comments as LIV Golf stars see ban lifted

The PGA of America confirmed this week that LIV Golf players will now be eligible for both the Ryder Cup and the US PGA Championship, marking a significant change after LIV was added to the body’s list of “approved tours.” This decision grants LIV players membership in the organization, a necessary step for those wishing to qualify for the Ryder Cup against Team Europe.

At the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome, Brooks Koepka was the only LIV player to represent Team USA, having secured a wildcard pick from captain Zach Johnson. Now, with the PGA Tour lifting the ban on LIV players, other prominent figures like US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau and former world number one Dustin Johnson may also have a chance to compete.

Xander Schauffele, a key member of Team USA, would welcome the involvement of Dustin Johnson. Last year, Schauffele named Johnson as his dream pairs partner, despite already having a close relationship with teammate Patrick Cantlay. However, opinions among Team USA players remain divided.

World number one Scottie Scheffler has expressed a more cautious stance regarding LIV players’ return to the fold. Earlier this year, he suggested that those who left for LIV should face some form of penalty for abandoning the PGA Tour. In an interview with the Golf Channel, Scheffler stated, “It’s definitely a complicated issue, and I’m not firmly on one side of the fence. Some guys left and even sued the PGA Tour, which wasn’t in great taste. But others left simply to pursue different opportunities, and I don’t hold any grudges against them.”

However, Scheffler added that allowing these players to come back without any repercussions wouldn’t sit well with everyone: “There needs to be a path for them to return, but they shouldn’t come back like nothing ever happened. They did leave, and there should be some kind of contribution or commitment to the tour if they come back.”

The PGA Tour released a statement confirming the eligibility of LIV players for upcoming tournaments: “Going forward, all LIV Golf players are eligible for the PGA Championship, and any American player who qualifies for the Ryder Cup through points or as a captain’s pick will be eligible to compete. This follows the precedent set in the past two PGA Championships where LIV players were allowed to participate, including Brooks Koepka on last year’s Ryder Cup team.”

Discussions about reuniting men’s golf continue more than a year after the PGA Tour and Europe’s DP World Tour announced a “framework agreement” for a potential merger with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, the financial powerhouse behind LIV. The future of this potential unification remains to be seen, as talks progress slowly amidst ongoing tensions in the golf world.