Xander Schauffele has been in sensational form in 2024, winning two major championships, including the Open, but it seems he won’t be defecting to the LIV Golf tour anytime soon
Xander Schauffele’s Dad has already dismissed any links to LIV Golf(Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
After securing the Open title at Royal Troon, it seems that the idea of Xander Schauffele defecting to the LIV Golf tour is off the table.
The 30 year old has managed to shed his nearly-man image during a significant year, bagging his second major championship honour of the year in Scotland over the weekend. The American nabbed the coveted Claret Jug with flair, finishing nine under 275 and securing a two-shot victory over his competitors.
With Schauffele’s heroics at the PGA Championship in May still fresh in fans’ minds, his performances this season have propelled him to the No. 2 ranking in the world. However, it appears that the 12-time PGA Tour event winner won’t be swayed by the wealth on offer in Saudi Arabia anytime soon.
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Big names like Jon Rahm, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Lee Westwood have already been persuaded to defect to the PIF-backed entity in recent years. Yet, it seems that the financial perks of a move to LIV wouldn’t be enough to convince him to switch – according to his father.
Speaking to Golf.com about the topic, Stefan Schauffele was candid about his son’s mindset as he gave his opinion. Dismissing the premise of the question, he stated: “No chance. Xander is not chasing the money. Xander is about legacy. And as my opinion – just as his father – there was never a chance.”
“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. Even if you throw hundreds of millions of dollars at him. That word still stands. I am not called The Ogre without reason. I keep my one word.”
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Xander Schauffele triumphed at the 152nd Open at Royal Troon and it appears that he his head will not be turned any time soon(Stuart Kerr/R&A/R&A via Getty Images)
Reflecting on his remarkable year, which saw him clinch the Open title after his PGA Championship win, the golf ace spoke of the elation he felt during his triumph at Royal Troon, saying: “I’ve always dreamt of doing it. That walk up 18 truly is one of the coolest feelings I’ve ever had in my life, with the yellow leaderboards, the fans and the standing ovation,” before adding, “I got chills walking down and quickly had to zap myself back into focus because the tournament wasn’t over yet.”
Describing his performance, he stated, “At the very tip-top. The best round I’ve played. It is an incredible feeling to be up here with the Claret Jug. But it is just a result at the end of the day, and I really do believe that.”
Schauffele stated: “Sometimes things go your way, and sometimes they don’t. Today I felt like I really controlled a lot of it… I kind of grabbed onto it, and there was no chance I was going to let go of it. All those tough losses in the past or those moments where I let myself slip up and dream too early on that back nine, I was able to reel myself in today and make sure that didn’t happen.”
Source link : https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/golf/open-championship-xander-schauffele-liv-33300428.amp
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Publish date : 2024-07-22 23:00:00
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