World No.1 Scottie Scheffler has made the most emphatic statement yet about LIV Golf stars needing to pay some kind of price if they want to return to the PGA Tour.
Rory McIlroy originally kicked-off the new debate when he said LIV golfer should just be welcomed back on the PGA Tour as soon as possible without penalty.
His feelings are not echoed by a lot of other top PGA Tour stars though, with first Jordan Spieth then Justin Thomas and now Scheffler voicing the opinion that there needs to be some form of dues to pay for returning players.
Scheffler insists he has no ill feelings towards players who left for LIV, but did stress that some burned more bridges than others and that makes a return difficult.
"I think there’s a different level of player that left. You had some guys that left our tour and then sued our tour," Scheffler told Golf Channel at the WM Phoenix Open. "That wasn't really in great taste.
"Then you had some other guys that just left and they wanted to do something different. Everybody made their own decision and I have no bad blood towards the guys that left. But a path towards coming back, I think it wouldn't be a very popular decision, I think, if they just came back like nothing ever happened.
"I think there should be a pathway back for them, but they definitely shouldn't be able to come back without any sort of contribution to the tour, if that makes sense."
The PGA Tour continue to negotiate with the Saudi PIF, but their $3bn deal with Strategic Sports Group seems to have lessened the urgency and even called the entire framework agreement into doubt.
“I have no bad blood towards the guys that left… There should be a pathway back for them, but they definitely shouldn’t be able to come back without any sort of contribution to the TOUR.” – Scottie Scheffler gives his thoughts on LIV players who left the PGA TOUR. pic.twitter.com/qy5x0NTPVEFebruary 7, 2024
There's no doubt having all the best players playing together again in events outside the Majors would be good for golf - but just how that happens remains a puzzle.
Scheffler isn't sure exactly how it would work, but says a lot of PGA Tour players would need to see some sort of action imposed on those coming back for it to sit right with them.
“I’m not really sure what that is, but there should be something,” Scheffler added. “I think that’s going to be the opinion of most of the players that stayed.
"We remained loyal to a tour, a tour that was loyal to us. I built my entire career here on the PGA Tour and I wasn't willing to leave it. I dreamt of playing on this tour. Some of the guys that left, maybe that wasn't for them.
"But I think that if they want a pathway back, that there should be one, but it definitely shouldn't just be coming back in the first week they want to come back and play.
"There should be some sort of caveat to them getting back on our tour."
