SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Scottie Scheffler and Justin Thomas are among a growing list of players who believe some sort of punishment should be required for LIV Golf members who defected from the PGA Tour but wish to return one day. Their sentiment echoes that of Rickie Fowler from a week ago but goes against the words of Rory McIlroy, who pleaded for peace and an obstacle-free runway for LIV golfers to head back to their former tour if they desire.
“I’m not necessarily super adamant one way or the other,” said Thomas. “I want the best product and the best players. I would say that there’s a handful of players on LIV that would make the Tour a better place, but I’m definitely not in the agreement that they should just be able to come back that easily.
“I think there’s a lot of us that made sacrifices and were very … whether it’s true to our word or what we believe in or just didn’t make that decision, and I totally understand that things are changing and things are getting better, but it just would … I would have a hard time with it, and I think a lot of guys would have a hard time with it, and I’m sure we don’t need to convince you why we would have a hard time with it. I think there’s a scenario somewhere, whatever it is, down the road of some kind of version of some guys being back. But when and what that is, I have no idea.”
Thomas falls into a category which PGA Tour policy board member Jordan Spieth talked about at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Spieth spoke to the different opinions among the membership with some, like McIlroy, believing punishment should be wiped and others like Thomas and Scheffler believing the way back to the PGA Tour should come at a cost.
“I think there’s a different level of player that left. You had some guys that left our tour and then sued our tour. That wasn’t really in great taste.” Scheffler told Golf Channel. “Then you had some other guys that just left and they wanted to do something different. Everybody made their own decision, and I have no bad blood towards the guys that left. But a path towards coming back, I think it wouldn’t be a very popular decision, I think, if they just came back like nothing ever happened. I think there should be a pathway back for them, but they definitely shouldn’t be able to come back without any sort of contribution to the tour, if that makes sense.”
These comments come on the heels of last week’s announcement that the Strategic Sports Group will be investing up to $3 billion into the PGA Tour’s new commercial arm, PGA Tour Enterprises. Players will be granted equity based on four different classes with players like Scheffler, Thomas and McIlroy all receiving some of the more preferential. This initial equity will be drawn from a $930 million pool, according to Golf Digest.
Noticeably absent from the deal terms was the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund. The financial backers of LIV Golf are said to be in continued negotiations with the PGA Tour, but there is uncertainty surrounding just how close the two parties are in talks. PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan was in Dubai in January to talk with PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan. This was their first conversation since the June 6 framework agreement was announced, according to the Telegraph.
With the two sides far apart, the PGA Tour and LIV Golf will likely coexist in some way shape or form for the near future. What this exactly looks like is up to interpretation, just as the potential pathway back is in a similar place.
“I’m not really sure what that is, but there should be something,” Scheffler continued. “I think that’s going to be the opinion of most of the players that stayed. We remained loyal to a tour, a tour that was loyal to us. I built my entire career here on the PGA Tour and I wasn’t willing to leave it. I dreamt of playing on this tour. Some of the guys that left, maybe that wasn’t for them.
“But I think that if they want a pathway back, that there should be one, but it definitely shouldn’t just be coming back in the first week they want to come back and play. There should be some sort of caveat to them getting back on our tour.”