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6 months ago
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Xander Schauffele will not cash in on his success at the US PGA Championship by defecting to the LIV circuit, according to his father.
The American, who leapfrogged Rory McIlroy into second in the world rankings after his thrilling one-shot victory over Bryson DeChambeau at Valhalla, has long been a prize target for the rebel tour.
That has extended to meetings with their Saudi backers, but in the wake of his son finally breaking through with a first major title, having finished in the top 10 on 12 occasions, Stefan Schauffele dismissed the possibility of him leaving the PGA Tour.
'No chance,' Schauffele Sr told golf.com. '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 (LIV withdrew an application for recognition from the OWGR last year) we do not have anything to talk about.
Xander Schauffele celebrates winning the PGA Championship - his first major - at Valhalla
Xander's father Stefan (center) insists no amount of money would take his son to LIV Golf
Schauffele poses for a photo with his wife, and partner for more than a decade, Maya
'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 word.'
While words have tended to be a changeable currency in modern golf, it is notable that Schauffele, 30, is close friends with Patrick Cantlay, who has been perceived as one of the main political objectors to any deal with the Saudis in the ongoing merger talks.
On the course, Schauffele disproved doubts about his composure under pressure to win at Valhalla with the lowest score in major history at 21 under par. He sealed victory with a six-foot putt as DeChambeau prepared for a play-off.
Schauffele's father watches on as his son plays in the Olympics in Japan back in 2021
Schauffele admits he now believes players who told him 'winning a major is just so dang hard'
'My dad always said to me that you have to walk through the fire,' Schaffele said. 'I have been living in a fire for quite some time now. I walked through it.
'I looked at all the tough shots as an opportunity to prove myself. I knew I could do it. But I had to do it.
'People say that winning a major is just so dang hard. And man, do I believe them.'
English (US)