'If We Want To Figure Out Why The Game Of Golf Is Not Back Together, Go Ask Those Guys' - Scottie Scheffler Insists LIV Golfers To Blame For Golf's Big Divide

World No.1 Scottie Scheffler did not mince his words when talking about the continued split in golf during his pre-Masters press conference - laying the blame firmly at the door of those players that left for LIV Golf.

Scheffler has been consistent in his stance that the players who left the PGA Tour are the ones to blame for the fact the top players no longer compete more often than in the four Majors each year.

One of those will be at Augusta National in April when two-time champion Scheffler defends his Masters title from last year against the likes of Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka.

Scheffler insists he has no hard feelings towards the LIV golfers, and misses competing against them, but reiterated his stance that they are the ones to blame for the current state of the men's pro game.

"I wish some of those guys had stayed, but at the end of the day, they made their choice," Scheffler said on his pre-Masters conference call. "They knew the consequences of that decision, and I'm not here to change their minds.

"I hold no ill will towards any of those guys that left. They did what they wanted to do, and you know, I can't control their life. I'm not going to sit here and say they should have done something differently. They made their choice.

"If we want to figure out why the game of golf is not back together, go ask those guys. Go to wherever they are playing this week and figure out when the game is going to come back together. We'll see."

Scheffler is also in absolutely no doubt that the PGA Tour is still the pinnacle of men's pro golf with a better standard than LIV Golf.

"I definitely miss the competition. I miss - they got some pretty good players on their tour," Scheffler added.

"I still think the PGA Tour has by far the best players in the world. The depth of our fields and the competition that we have is still hands down the best competition that there is in the game of golf.

"That's why I'm still playing on the Tour is I love the competition."

Scheffler relishing Rahm reunion

One of the golfers Scheffler especially misses locking horns with is Rahm, with the two enjoying some good battles both in tournaments and the Ryder Cup.

"One of the great joys of my career is going up against Jon," said Scheffler. "He's a tremendous player, tremendous talent. I was definitely surprised to see him leave last year and I for sure miss playing against him.

"We had some great battles over the years. We had some great battles in the Ryder Cup. I think we've halved most of our matches in the Ryder Cup, Jon and I.

"Maybe we've played five times and halved three of them, and I've won one and he's won one. We've played a lot in the last two Ryder Cups, and he's a great guy to compete against.

"So I definitely miss playing against him. I wish he was - I wish he got to do it more often, but definitely will soak in all the opportunities that I get to compete against him going forward."