Professional golf’s cash issues may use an NFL-sized dose of perspective, Xander Schauffele says.
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Who knew that professional golf would show the outdated saying true?
You actually can’t purchase happiness.
Three years and lots of billions later, cash has largely introduced the golf world a heightened sense of disillusionment. Its followers are pissed off and its stakeholders are holding on for expensive life — even whereas its gamers are richer than ever.
Few individuals have seen extra of golf’s cash in 2024 than Xander Schauffele. Schauffele, the winner of two majors and a few $17.6 million in on-course earnings this season, enters this week’s BMW Championship second on the PGA Tour’s cash listing — and he’s threatening so as to add to his whole.
For the uninitiated, the BMW is the second of three PGA Tour playoff occasions that can pay out a complete of $100 million to gamers in August. As the very best golfer alive not named Scottie Scheffler, Schauffele arrives in Colorado as one of many betting favorites to win not simply this week’s event but in addition subsequent week’s PGA Tour’s crown jewel, the FedEx Cup, whose $25 million first prize would greater than double his season-long earnings.
By most goal measures, incomes over $40 million in a calendar yr qualifies as a fairly good factor, and Schauffele definitely isn’t arguing that time. In actual fact, by the PGA Tour’s requirements, it could qualify as probably the most cash earned in a single season ever. That’s similar to a mid-tier beginning quarterback within the NFL — fairly good for a sport with one-tenth of the NFL’s annual TV income.
However throughout an unusually expansive press availability on Wednesday on the BMW, Schauffele appeared confused by all of it. Golf’s cash has exploded, he argued, however it’s nonetheless nowhere close to its professional sports activities counterparts.
“You take a look at the top-10 quarterbacks,” Schauffele stated. “Scottie [Scheffler] has gained seven occasions, I believe that’s together with Olympic gold. And he’s made considerably greater than everybody else.”
“In the event you take a look at how a lot Tenth has made, the Tenth-best participant on the earth has made, it’s not going to smell how a lot Scottie has made. That simply reveals you the way properly Scottie has performed in these huge tournaments.”
(Schauffele is appropriate. With two begins to go, Scheffler has made $29 million in 2024. Tenth place on the Tour’s single-season cash listing is Shane Lowry at a shade greater than $5.5 million.)
“You take a look at the No. 1 quarterback, he’s getting $60 million after which the No. 10 quarterback is getting 52, after which No. 15 is getting 39 or 40.”
Schauffele’s level rings true, however he appeared to be hinting at an even bigger hypocrisy. Why is chasing money in golf thought of grasping when the NFL arms out significantly extra?
“Once I take a look at different sports activities, when somebody will get a $300 million contract, there’s all these constructive feedback about how somebody received their bag or they’ve labored so onerous to get this they usually deserve it, issues like that,” Schauffele stated. “It’s attention-grabbing to me. I believe perhaps golf is a gentleman’s recreation and also you’re not supposed to speak about cash, however all of the media needs to do is discuss cash.”
Certainly, cash is the third rail of the golf tradition wars. New battles sprout up day-after-day, however the overarching sentiment to emerge from all of it is negativity. Chasing cash on LIV is unhealthy. The PGA Tour countering with more cash is unhealthy. Golf obsessing over cash is unhealthy. Those that take the cash are unhealthy. Those that thought themselves virtuous are unhealthy. All the things is unhealthy. And it’s all getting worse.
The irony of this sentiment, notably for these like Schauffele, is that he hasn’t taken a dime from what’s thought of a questionable supply of earnings. (But.) The PGA Tour and PIF stay aside of their talks for a merger, and whereas the 2 sides have brokered an uneasy peace, that peace doesn’t embrace Saudi cash funneled into Schauffele’s checking account. (Once more: But.)
Nonetheless, there are causes for the bitter style. The PIF is professional golf’s loudest financier, however the principle purpose of its funding seems to be purging an objectionable previous from the general public report and rehabilitating the Saudi picture amongst rich Westerners. That’s not precisely “advancing golf’s noble trigger.” And the PGA Tour claimed to be above the fray — solely to go behind the general public’s again to the Saudis and minimize a deal of their very own.
Human rights issues apart, there are different issues with the billions the Saudis and PGA Tour have pumped into the sport. In a sport that’s presupposed to be outlined by its spirit of integrity and sportsmanship, stakeholders have used cash to show the depths of their self-interest and greed. And for individuals who haven’t given in to the siren name, cash has upended the general public’s sense of a rational market. It’s one factor if Pat Mahomes makes $60 million throughout a historic season — he earned it — however Scottie Scheffler? He performed the proper season on the proper time.
The excellent news is that the checks preserve cashing both manner, however maybe that’s not the purpose.
“I believe the gamers that take advantage of cash don’t take into consideration cash as a result of it’s simply not a very powerful factor,” Schauffele stated Wednesday.
“Successful $25 million could be actually cool and very nice, however I don’t assume it’s going to vary my life, and I can let you know if I lose and play unhealthy, I’m going to be fairly upset about enjoying unhealthy and never having the ability to peak on the proper time.”
In the long run, the factor that issues most to Schauffele is sort of refreshingly easy: Successful. Strive as they could, you possibly can’t put a value on that.
