“I found out in a funny way” - Xander Schauffele opens up on LIV Golf rumors

Last week, rumors of Xander Schauffele joining LIV Golf were all over the internet. However, Schauffle has revealed on the No Laying Up podcast that he has 'no idea' how he and Patrick Cantley were linked to LIV Golf and clearly stated that he would not be joining the controversial league.

While Xander Schauffele is ranked 6th in the world, Patrick Cantley is ranked 4th in the world as per the official world golf rankings. Considering their status, fans were quick to believe the rumors as LIV Golf is on the search for the top players in the league. The previous year, LIV Golf managed to attract a few top players with attractive signing amounts and prize money purses.

Here's what Xander Schauffele said on the podcast talking about the rumors of him joining LIV Golf:

"I found out in a funny way, I pretty much just received messages from my friends,” he said."Some of my friends just believed I would tell them if I was leaving the PGA Tour, and my other friends kind of texted me in disbelief thinking it was true. I was like ‘come on’.

He continued:

"I pretty much just told everyone what I'm telling you, I haven't talked to anybody. I was pretty much minding my own business in Vegas and then this whole thing blew up. "Why it blew up and how it blew up I have no idea, probably similar to the first time around, just random rumors that catch the wind and it just blows up in your face."

Even before the inaugural season, Xander Schauffle was offered the opportunity to join the league. But he turned down the offer and remained loyal towards the PGA Tour.

After the conclusion of the first season, Schauffle was one of the players targeted by LIV CEO, Greg Norman for the next season. Schaffler was expected to be the new captain of the team, Torque GC.

Various websites have linked both Schauffele and Patrick's names to a potential switch to LIV. However, after Schauffele's comments on the podcast, it is very clear that he and Patrick will not be joining the rebel tour.

Besides talking about the rumors, Schauffele also spoke about his relationship with his father as his coach, his journey on the PGA Tour, his experiences while competing in the majors, and a lot more.

LIV Golf undergoing a couple of changes for the next season

Meanwhile, LIV Golf is still eyeing the signing of a number of top players ahead of the 2023 season. Unlike the 48-player field in 2022, The tour is expected to have around 60 golfers next season, including those who have already joined the series.

A couple of additional changes could be expected next season where the season will follow a 14-event format, unlike the earlier eight-event format.

LIV Chief Atul Khosla said that the team is in the middle of discussions on new signings and looks forward to finalizing the list before the end of the year.