PGA Tour players shared their opinion on whether LIV Golf players should be allowed to return to the tour.
Jordan Spieth, Cam Young and Brian Harman were among those to share their thoughts, and all expressed the unanimous view that, given the repercussions they face, LIV Golf players should be allowed to return.
But Scottie Scheffler was not. He was asked after his opening round at Doral, but scoffed at the question, replying: “I just got off the golf course. I don’t know what you want from me.”
Scheffler had just shot a one-under 71 to start his Cadillac Championship, falling seven strokes off the leading Young, so he clearly wasn’t in the mood for political talk.
But it wasn’t good enough, and it showed that the world number one isn’t ready to replace Rory McIlroy as the face of golf.
Scottie Scheffler is not ready to be the face of golf
McIlroy was dubbed the next Tiger Woods when he burst onto the scene with his first major win in 2011. Perhaps we haven’t given him enough credit for how he’s lived up to that role.
He never matched him in accomplishments- he has six majors to Woods’ 15- but McIlroy stepped into the shoes of Woods as the spokesperson for golf. He’s the reason people have watched the sport for the last 10 years, and he was the person the tour turned to when it needed a voice.
McIlroy, more than any other player, stood up for the PGA Tour against LIV Golf for years, as Scheffler and co stood behind him. And he continues to do so, acting as the voice of Team Europe during Jon Rahm’s feud with the DP World Tour.
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And despite being the best golfer on the planet and the world number one, Scheffler has proven that he’s unable to tie the laces of McIlroy when it comes to representing the interests of the PGA Tour.
He’s under no obligation to. If Scheffler simply wants to play golf, collect his trophies and his paycheck, and return home to his family, then that’s his right.
But if you believe that the best player alive holds some responsibility to be the face of the sport, then Scheffler has shown he’s unable to take on that load at this stage.
Yes, McIlroy has had his fair share of issues with the media in the past, especially after his Masters win last year. But when the PGA Tour desperately needed leadership, he is the man they turned to, not Scheffler.
Rory McIlroy’s absence from the Cadillac Championship required Scottie Scheffler to step up
McIlroy’s absence from this week’s Cadillac Championship is unfortunate. With the news breaking that LIV Golf currently has no funding for next season, the PGA Tour needed their leader.
But McIlroy has made clear by skipping the last two PGA Tour Signature Events that his focus is now on major championships and his standing in golfing history. This is a new era for the Career Grand Slam winner, and there is a noticeable hole in his absence.
Which player is the biggest loser if LIV Golf is shut down?
Someone other than these four? Let us know in the comments!
With McIlroy missing from Doral, this was the moment for Scheffler to show that he had the leadership skills required to send a clear message to LIV Golfers. He did not, and now we await McIlroy’s statement at the Truist Championship next week.
This is now a real issue for the PGA Tour as it looks for its next spokesperson. If McIlroy plays less and less on the tour, and Scheffler isn’t willing to speak on these issues, who can they turn to?
This is an opportunity for someone to claim that mantle, so let’s see if someone wants to claim the throne in the coming weeks, or if McIlroy will be once again forced to step into the shoes Woods once filled.
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