Sports reporter Brian Wacker has confirmed PGA Tour star Xander Schauffele will NOT be joining LIV Golf, despite a rumor going round on social media suggesting otherwise this week.
Wacker, who writes for the New York Post, took to Twitter to clarify where Schauffele’s allegiance really lies heading into 2023.
Some LIV Golf news: Xander isn’t going, despite, ahem, “report”; TV deal will be with Fox Sports in some capacity; 5ish events in the US next year. Related, if/when they get world ranking points, that changes the equation for some.
— Brian Wacker (@brianwacker1) November 9, 2022
Wacker, who has over 25,000 followers, tweeted: “Some LIV Golf news: Xander isn’t going, despite, ahem, “report”; TV deal will be with Fox Sports in some capacity; 5ish events in US next year. Related, if/when they get world ranking points, that changes the equation for some.”
The final line of Wacker’s tweet would indicate that should LIV Golf end up receiving Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points, then the decision to join LIV may become a bit more of a headache for a number of potentially interested PGA Tour players.
This is exactly the point we made in a feature on the latest LIV Golf situation.
As it stands, LIV Golf players are tumbling down the OWGR as a result of being shut out of picking up valuable points each week.
This is also providing serious concern for a number of current LIV players who are outside the automatic spots and eligibility criteria for the four majors of the year at The Masters, US PGA, US Open and The Open.
Confusion over Schauffele’s imminent future in the sport has come as a result of a number of rumors doing the rounds on social media.
None more so than one provided by an “insider” LIV Tracking account this week.
See the tweets below:
Nobody can question my unblemished track record. I have never been wrong on this app.
— LIV Golf Insider (@LIVTracking) November 6, 2022
The account claimed Schauffele was a done deal to LIV Golf, and also went as far as to say it had an “unblemished record” when it came to golf player transfers this season.
We can only assume the account was forgotten about the time Jon Rahm shut it down earlier this year when the Spaniard quashed all talk of a move to LIV Golf.
The account also said Schauffele was going to become the new captain of Torque GC, and how his best mate Patrick Cantlay and Chile’s Mito Pereira were joining too.
The Guardian also reported recently how Cantlay and Schauffele were heavily linked with a move to LIV Golf.
Talks have clearly taken place between LIV Golf execs and the likes of PGA Tour stars Schauffele and Cantlay. That is obvious.
But right now, there is no deal in place for either player. (OWGR) Points really do mean prizes, it would seem.
With Wacker now confirming Schauffele is sticking by the PGA Tour, at least for now, you have to feel Cantlay will also follow suit given their close relationship both on and off the course. Their partners are close, too.
According to our own sources here at GolfMagic, and no it is not LIV Tracking you will be pleased to knowwe have been informed that Pereira is the most likely of any PGA Tour player to move to LIV Golf at this very moment in time.
But with all due respect to Pereira, who made his debut in the Presidents Cup recently, his name will unlikely be at the very top of Norman’s wish list.
LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman made it clear at the season-ending Team Championship that he wants at least seven new players joining his new LIV Golf League in 2023.
Norman also wants to get deals done before the end of this year so team preparations and trades can get fully underway.
Some action has already taken place with 4 Aces GC captain Dustin Johnson trading one of his players for Peter Uihlein.
Picking further points out of Wacker’s tweet, and he also confirms that LIV Golf will partner with FOX Sports “in some capacity” in a new TV deal.
This aligns nicely with what LIV Golf commentator Jerry Foltz revealed on the ‘Fore The People’ podcast earlier this week.
Foltz is not much of a fan of a TV deal though. “I dread the fact we are going to be on TV,” he explained on the podcast.
Wacker also confirmed in his tweet that approximately “five” of the 14 LIV Golf tournaments in 2023 will be held in the United States.
You can check out more early details of the new LIV Golf League season here.
Next Page: R&A boss teases LIV Golf decision as he opens up on Greg Norman snub
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