Scottie Scheffler has weighed in on LIV players returning to the PGA Tour after Rory McIlroy hit out at the breakaway league’s stars.
The American, who won last weekend at the FedEx St Jude Championship, took an alternative view to the Northern Irishman.
McIlroy cast doubt on the LIV player’s contribution to the breakaway tour, saying: “I’d argue, have they brought value to LIV?”
Scheffler disagreed, saying he loves going up against them but feels they should face “some sort of penalties”.
He said: “There’s definitely some players that would provide a lot of value to the Tour, and guys that I love competing against as well.
“So I think going forward there obviously has to be, I think, some sort of penalties. What those are, I’ll let [PGA Tour CEO Brian] Rolapp and all those guys figure it out.
“I think for me being able to compete against the best players in the world there’s certainly some guys on that Tour that can compete out here and I look forward to the chance to compete with them more often.”
Scheffler’s comments come while the future of LIV Golf weighs in the balance, with this week’s event near Indianapolis set to be the final one backed by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund.
Scottie Scheffler has weighed in on LIV players returning to the PGA Tour
|
GETTYLIV chief executive Scott O’Neil was due to provide an update on what lies ahead for the breakaway circuit.
The league has reportedly secured an agreement with a new lead investor and intends to overhaul its operational model.
O’Neil explained that the deal is part of a “transaction and [will] play a key role in supporting the path forward for the League’s next era, driven by and for the players”.
LIV Golf reportedly told its players last week that the Team Championship event at the end of the month has been cancelled.
The Northern Irishman took a harsher approach to Scheffler
|
GETTYWhile the future of LIV remains uncertain, the FedEx Cup continues, with the BMW Championship set to get underway today.
Justin Thomas and Sahith Theegala will tee off first, with McIlroy hoping for a better week than last time, after finishing 66th out of 68.
The Northern Irishman is partnered with American Xander Schauffele, going off after Robert MacIntyre, who withdrew from the competition last week.
Following the conclusion of the BMW Championship, the field will be cut to 30 players for next week’s TOUR Championship, the final FedEx Cup playoff.
The future of LIV Golf remains uncertain
|
GETTYHovering around the top 30 mark are America’s Gary Woodland, JT Poston, and Denmark’s Nicolai Hojgaard.
England’s Aaron Rai will need to shoot well to reach the top 30, currently over 100 FedExCup points from the cut line.
Rai won the PGA Championship this year, becoming the first English winner since 1919.
