Former Texas golf star Scottie Scheffler to the LIV Golf tour? Not a chance, he says

Defections to LIV Golf, the Saudi-funded circuit spearheaded by Greg Norman, continue to dominate the golf news cycle as one media source — the Telegraph of London — reported this week that the world’s second-ranked player and 2022 British Open champ Cam Smith is likely to sign for $100 million once the FedEx Cup playoffs are through.

Smith is certainly a hot commodity, with his Claret Jug and flowing locks. But what about the top-ranked player in the world, University of Texas product Scottie Scheffler?

He’s making so much money right now, there’s no need for the former Longhorn to jump ship, even if he wasn’t set on PGA Tour accomplishments.

More:Austin's Dell Match Play cemented into schedule under new PGA Tour system as purse grows

In fact, Scheffler claimed the season-long Aon Risk Reward challenge and the corresponding $1 million prize, it was announced Tuesday. That’s on top of the $4 million he earned Sunday for finishing first in the Comcast Business Tour Top 10, both of which are bonus money on top of the record money he has already earned.

It has been a season to remember for Scheffler, who has won four times, including capturing his first major title, the Masters. He remains first in the FedEx Cup standings as the playoffs get underway Thursday at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tenn., at the FedEx St. Jude Championship.

"For me, I feel like the PGA Tour is the best place to play,” Scheffler said on Tuesday. “My dream was to play on the PGA Tour. My dream was never to maximum myself my financial benefits. I feel very blessed and fortunate to play golf and get paid for it, so for me, I'm not looking to go out and do anything else. The PGA Tour is where I want to play and it continues to be the place where the best golfers in the world play and the opportunity to win FedExCup and opportunity to win major championships and to win tournaments out here.

“I grew up going to the Byron Nelson, I grew up going to the Colonial and I almost won the Colonial this year and I wouldn't be able to trade those memories for anything.”

Scheffler has earned $13.176 million thus far this year. Add in the bonus money, that’s $18.176 million. He also has a chance to add another $18 million if he wins the FedEx Cup Playoffs, plus whatever earnings he gets in the next three tournaments.

LIV Tour contracts revealed?

While the most important thing to come out of the federal court hearing in San Jose, Calif., was that Judge Beth Labson Freeman wouldn’t grant a temporary restraining order to allow three LIV Golf players to compete in the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Playoffs, there were several other nuggets discussed Tuesday that are worth another look.

LIV golfers Talor Gooch, Matt Jones and Hudson Swafford had requested the temporary restraining order that was denied. They would have earned enough points in the season-long FedEx Cup qualifying to have made the playoffs, but they won’t be allowed to tee it up Thursday in the FedEx St. Jude Championship after Judge Freeman ruled that their PGA Tour suspensions would stand, at least for now.

At various times in Tuesday’s hearing, Judge Freeman commented on the high dollar figures associated with LIV contracts signed by players and their restrictive nature.

At one point, Judge Freeman mentioned how the LIV contracts are worth more than the three plaintiffs have earned on the PGA Tour. The exact payments were redacted from public view, but the judge and the litigators were privy to the dollar figures. For comparison, Gooch has $9.5 million in career PGA Tour earnings, Jones has $18 million in career earnings and Swafford has $10 million in career earnings.

The judge also at one point said the LIV contracts were more restrictive than PGA Tour contracts, effectively solidifying a point of speculation among some pundits in recent months. LIV golfers are required to play all LIV events, while the Tour allows players to pick and choose among a greater field of events. LIV plans to hold 14 events in 2023, while most Tour golfers are required to play at least 15 events per season. There is also speculation that LIV golfers will be requested to play in some Asian Tour events, as that tour is affiliated with LIV. Major championships count among the 15 events most Tour players are required to play, while the majors would not count among the 14 events LIV golfers would be required to play. The judge effectively said that LIV’s requirement to play all its events is more restrictive than the Tour’s requirements.

Another point about the LIV contracts: There has been speculation that tournament earnings count against a LIV player’s guaranteed bonus money. LIV has denied this, and several players also denied it when asked by the media, essentially saying all event prize payouts are in addition to the signing bonuses. But at one point in Tuesday’s hearing, the plaintiffs’ lead attorney Robert Walters told Judge Freeman that players must win money on LIV to recoup against their contracts, and she seemed to agree after having seen the contracts. It’s possible, of course, that he was misinformed about how the contracts work, but his statement comes after reading the contracts in detail and presenting them to the judge. LIV later issued a statement denying what Walters told the judge, but somebody clearly doesn’t have that story straight.

Kris Devlin, Estelle Beck win city championships

Kris Devlin, a former Texas A&M men’s golf team member who now works for the Dell Match Play, fired a final-round 68 to capture the 2022 Men's Austin City Championship. He was also the low mid-amateur. Devlin played the three rounds in 209 strokes. Meanwhile, St. Mary’s University’s Estelle Beck took home the Women's City Championship. Beck also shined in the final round, posting a 69, to take the title.

Tim Schmitt is the managing editor for Golfweek, golf coordinator for the USA Today Network and lives in Round Rock. Golfweek’s Jason Lusk also contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Former Longhorn Scottie Scheffler says he won't play on LIV Tour