Scheffler backs LIV players' return over McIlroy's objections
By Staff Writer
3 min read
Key takeaways
- Scottie Scheffler said several LIV Golf players, including Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau, would add value if allowed back on the PGA Tour.
- Scheffler wants any returning LIV players to face penalties, though he did not specify what form those should take.
- His comments at the BMW Championship put him at odds with Rory McIlroy, who separately questioned whether LIV players bring any value at all.
- Scheffler is within about $1 million of Tiger Woods' PGA Tour career earnings record and could pass him with a top-two finish this week.
Scottie Scheffler said Wednesday that several LIV Golf players are good enough to add value to the PGA Tour, breaking with Rory McIlroy's more skeptical take on a potential reunification of the sport's top players.
What did Scheffler say about LIV players returning?
Speaking at his BMW Championship press conference at Bellerive Country Club, the World No. 1 named Rahm, DeChambeau and suggested others like Tyrrell Hatton and Joaquin Niemann as players he would welcome back to regular competition, while still backing consequences for anyone who left for LIV and wants to return.
LIV has a few players that are really good.
Scheffler said he supports some form of penalty for returning players but left the specifics to PGA Tour commissioner Brian Rolapp and the league's leadership. His remarks came a day after LIV CEO Scott O'Neil said he is racing to lock in enough top players to secure a new lead investor for the league.
How does this compare with McIlroy's view?
McIlroy, also speaking at Bellerive this week, was far more dismissive of LIV's roster, questioning whether the league's players had brought any value to LIV itself and warning stars like Rahm and DeChambeau that a path back to the PGA Tour would not be easy. Scheffler's comments show the two of the sport's biggest stars do not agree on how welcoming the Tour should be toward a potential wave of returning players.
Where does Scheffler stand on Tiger Woods' earnings record?
Scheffler is also closing in on Woods' PGA Tour career money list record, sitting roughly $1 million behind after his win last week at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. A top-two finish at the BMW Championship would move him into the top spot outright. Scheffler credited the growth in prize money, not his win total relative to Woods, for the milestone, and said Woods' influence on Tour purses is the reason today's players earn what they do.
The LoopGolf angle
Bellerive Country Club is a private, tournament-only venue and not part of LoopGolf's bookable inventory. For golfers who want to feel closer to the debate over the sport's biggest stars, the more relevant question is how the format changes Scheffler referenced, aimed at getting top players head-to-head more often starting in 2028, could reshape which public and resort courses land future Tour and LIV events.
Frequently asked questions
Which LIV Golf players did Scottie Scheffler say could return to the PGA Tour?
Scheffler named Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau and pointed to players like Tyrrell Hatton and Joaquin Niemann as others who would add value.
Does Scottie Scheffler agree with Rory McIlroy about LIV Golf?
No. McIlroy questioned whether LIV players add value at all, while Scheffler said several are good enough to help the PGA Tour.
Is Scottie Scheffler close to Tiger Woods' career earnings record?
Yes. Scheffler trails Woods by about $1 million and could take over the top spot with a top-two finish at the BMW Championship.
- Scottie Scheffler
- Rory McIlroy
- LIV Golf
- PGA Tour
- BMW Championship
- Jon Rahm
- Bryson DeChambeau
- Tiger Woods
