The uncertainty over the sporting future of Jon Rahm continues to make headlines in the world of golf. So much so that the matter has reached Japan, where this week the Baycurrent Classic of the PGA Tour is being contested. There, Xander Schauffele, one of the big names on the US circuit, was questioned about the situation of the Barrika player following reports of his departure from LIV Golf and the possibilities now open for continuing his career.
The American, who this Saturday carded a 65 to sit at nine under par after three rounds, addressed the matter at his press conference. But he did so with great caution, avoiding making judgments about Rahm’s decision and offering an initial hint about where he thinks the Spaniard could compete going forward
“It’s clear he has done what he considers best for him, as we all do. I suppose he’ll simply play on the DP World Tour, that’s my impression. I don’t know if the PGA Tour has offered him a spot as it did previously, when it opened that window. He’s simply doing what he thinks is best for him,” Schauffele began
His words reflect one of the big unknowns currently surrounding Rahm’s future: what schedule he will be able to play and, especially, whether he will have any chance of returning to the PGA Tour. Schauffele did not claim to have information about the Spaniard’s next steps, but he did leave open the question of whether the US circuit might have offered him an option similar to the return window previously enabled for certain players
The next question focused precisely on that possibility. Journalists reminded the American that the PGA Tour has stated it does not intend to allow the return of these players and wanted to know his view on whether that stance will hold or if some kind of compromise might ultimately be reached
“I have no idea. There are 225 players with PGA Tour cards and, if you sat down to interview them all, you’d probably find three or four different camps of opinion,” began the two-time major champion. He then described the different sensitivities that coexist within the tour regarding the possible reintegration of the golfers who chose to go to LIV Golf
“Some don’t care, others are really angry, some want a huge fine imposed on them and others would allow them to return tomorrow,” Schauffele noted, highlighting that there is no unanimous stance among all the players on the US tour about how that eventual return should be handled
That said, when it came to taking a personal position, the American preferred to stay out of the controversy. “Which of those groups I fall into, the truth is I don’t know. I’m one of those who try to mind their own business most of the time,” he concluded
Schauffele’s remarks add a new voice to the debate surrounding Rahm, although without clearing up the main doubts. While the American points to the DP World Tour as a possible competitive destination for the Spaniard, the question about his future relationship with the PGA Tour remains open. And, judging by his words, there is also no shared answer among the tour’s own players on how it should be resolved
