Scottie Scheffler curtly dismissed a reporter’s question about the future of LIV Golf players after completing an even-par first round at the Cadillac Championship on Donald Trump’s Doral course.
Saudi Fund Halts LIV Support
Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund recently ended future funding for LIV Golf, forcing the rival league to pursue alternative investors. Golfers who defected from the PGA Tour to join LIV for substantial payouts now face uncertainty.
When pressed on their prospects, Scheffler responded sharply: “I just got off the golf course. I don’t know what you want from me.”
LIV Golf has expended $5.3 billion since its 2022 launch, with total spending expected to top $6 billion by year-end. The league allocated roughly $1 billion to sign high-profile players such as Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, and Dustin Johnson.
Trump Advocates for Golfers’ Return
President Donald Trump supports reintegrating LIV players into the PGA Tour. Addressing reporters, he said: “I do believe that all of the golfers should be playing against each other. They were viewing something as a monopoly, but it’s swaying away. It should be the opposite of a monopoly. I want to see Rory [McIlroy] playing Bryson DeChambeau. I want to see big Jon Rahm playing Scottie, who is so great. Scottie Scheffler is great. They have great players on LIV, but it’s almost like people want to see that. That’s why the Masters was so good because you saw everybody together. The Tour wants to have the best players. You can’t have the best player that they’re boycotting now. They may do something, you know, a little bit, but they’ll all be back on tour and it’ll be great. I don’t know what’s happening with LIV. I’m not sure what’s happening with LIV, but they are playing at my course in two weeks on the Potomac, beautiful course. But right now [the PGA Tour] at Doral, which I own.”
Pattern of Blunt Press Interactions
This exchange echoes Scheffler’s recent frustration at the Masters. After firing a seven-under-par 65, a reporter asked: “That was a 65 today. What did it feel like it could have or should have been?”
Scheffler shot back: “That’s just a terrible question. Next question. Awful.”
When queried about the putting surfaces’ color, he replied with a smile: “Grass. I already ripped on one question that wasn’t that bad, so I’m not going to rip on another one.”
Another question followed: “This might qualify as another bad question, but you tended your own pin on 18. Do you remember the last time you’ve done that here?” Scheffler laughed: “Here? Shoot, I don’t know. Yeah, that’s not great.”
