Jon Rahm may have overestimated his influence when he left the PGA Tour to join the LIV Golf League, according to major winner Xander Schauffele.
After winning his first major championship, Xander Schauffele took a well-earned break before returning to action.
Furthermore, it’s safe to say that when asked for his thoughts on a variety of topics, the 30-year-old American does not hold back.
In a fiery interview with The Times of London prior to the Memorial Tournament, Schauffele completely destroyed PGA Tour boss Jay Monahan.
The PGA Championship victor ripped into Monahan for avoiding the spotlight the previous two years and depending on well-known athletes to spearhead the offensive against their boisterous LIV Golf opponent.
Schauffele has now put Rahm in his sights, implying that the Spaniard exaggerated his potential impact on the result of the “civil war” in golf.
Undoubtedly, Rahm’s choice to join LIV for an estimated £450 million ($566.4 million) was facilitated by his 2023 Masters victory.
Additionally, he joined the breakaway six months after the PGA Tour and LIV’s Saudi backers came to a “framework agreement.”
Rahm expressed this belief before he even tried to defend the green jacket, believing that his choice would have accelerated the negotiations.
Since then, he has expressed regret for not being able to participate in some PGA Tour events, but he still views himself as a member.
There is only one golfer who, in Schauffele’s opinion, has the potential to make such an impact.
Schauffele remarked, “I can think of one guy who would really move the needle, that’s still playing.”
Even though he only performs four or five times a year, I think that guy makes a big difference.
To be perfectly honest, though, “guys who think that one person will make this whole thing go faster are probably thinking a bit high(ly) of themselves.”
Before everyone can shake hands and move on, according to Schauffele, “a lot of things that need to occur that people don’t realise.”
“It feels like we’ve been in this mess for a couple years, but it’s only been a year,” he remarked, pointing out how much damage had been done in such a short period of time. “It seems like ages have passed.
It will eventually run its course, and everyone will need to come to an agreement, which could take some time.
Schauffele also made his prediction for when that may happen.
Sadly for golf fans, that might take at least five years.
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