Xander Schauffele's Dad Completely Shuts Down LIV Golf Rumors, While Schauffele Himself Refuses To Do So

Xander Schauffele winning the 2024 PGA Championship not only erased the narrative that he was a player incapable of getting the job done on one of the game's biggest stages, but it also earned him a five-year exemption into future major championships. 

Some believe that, given that security, the 30-year-old may be enticed to make a move to LIV Golf. He'd undoubtedly earn a huge signing bonus to join the Saudi-backed circuit to go play less golf and not have to worry about being eligible for any major championships over the next half-decade.

Schauffele has been in and out of LIV rumors for years at this point, but just moments after his son hoisted the Wanamaker Trophy at Valhalla Golf Club, his father, Stefan, completely shut down the idea.

"No chance," Stefan told Golf.com when asked about the possibility of his son joining LIV. "Xander is not chasing the money. Xander is about legacy. And as my opinion — just as his father — there was never a chance.

Xander Schauffele won't be making a move to LIV Golf following his PGA Championship victory, at least not according to his father. (Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Stefan did confirm his son had held conversations with LIV Golf in the past, however.

"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 we do not have anything to talk about. Even if you throw hundreds of millions of dollars at him. That word still stands," Stefan explained.

While Stefan's comments here may not be all that surprising, they are interesting given that his complete shutting of the door on the idea that Xander could one day join LIV Golf goes against what Xander himself has said in the past.

Back in late January of this year, Schauffele admitted that he would not pledge his allegiance to the PGA Tour.

"I’ve just tried to be as honest as possible and I’ve just dodged the question because I’m not going to pledge to the Tour," Schauffele told the Fore Play podcast. "I’m not going to say, ‘I’m going to play here forever’ or ‘I’m going to go there’, I’ll just say I’m here right now which is a fact."

While that may seem like a bit of a cop-out comment from Schauffele, it's the only thing any high-profile players should be saying when asked about a potential move to LIV Golf down the line.

The future of professional golf has never been more unclear as we're approaching one full year since the Tour and Saudi PIF first announced a framework agreement. All that's happened since then is LIV continuing to poach players from the Tour and virtually zero updates regarding the two sides finding common ground.