“It wouldn’t be a very popular decision” - Scottie Scheffler says LIV golfers shouldn't be welcomed back to the PGA Tour without any action

Scottie Scheffler has joined a list of golfers who are against letting LIV golfers have a clear path back to the PGA Tour. The World No.1 golfer has now stated that LIV rebels coming back to the American circuit without any consequence “wouldn’t be a very popular decision.”

The 27-year-old reiterated that the players left the PGA Tour and joined the Saudi-backed series for their interests. He said that the defectors shouldn’t be allowed to “just come back like nothing ever happened.” With the comment, Scheffler joined the likes of Justin Thomas and Rickie Fowler, who’d earlier slammed the prospect.

The 2022 Masters champion reminded everyone that LIV golfers, along with the circuit, sued the American circuit. However, he added that there “should be a pathway back” for them to the PGA Tour. But demanded that it should come with some consequences for the players.

Speaking ahead of the WM Phoenix Open on Wednesday, Scottie Scheffler was quoted as saying by The Golf Channel:

“You had some guys that left our Tour and then sued our Tour. That wasn’t really in great taste. Then you had some other guys that just left and they wanted to do something different. Everybody made their own decision, and I have no bad blood toward the guys that left."

But a path toward coming back, it wouldn’t be a very popular decision, I think, if they just came back like nothing ever happened. They did kind of leave and – they left our Tour, that’s just part of it. There should be a pathway back for them, but they definitely shouldn’t be able to come back without any sort of contribution to the Tour,” he added.

Scheffler’s comments come just days after Rory McIlroy changed his stance on the issue. The Northern Irishman, who was once the PGA Tour’s face in its fight against LIV Golf, reversed his decision and said that the defectors should be allowed to come back without any consequence.

The 34-year-old golfer said “it is hard to punish people” and added that the players had free will to choose where to play.

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Justin Thomas doesn’t want LIV Golfers back on the PGA Tour without penalty

Not many players are on Rory McIlroy’s side on the matter. Some players, like Justin Thomas, are on the side of Scheffler in the conversation.

Earlier on Tuesday, February 6, Thomas revealed that he isn’t ready to invite LIV Golfers back to the PGA Tour. The 30-year-old said that he “would have a hard time” with letting the rebel players back on the American circuit without any penalty.

Opposing McIlroy’s call in the defectors’ favor, the 2022 PGA Championship winner said that many players “made sacrifices” by staying on the American circuit.

Justin Thomas said at a press conference in Arizona, as quoted by the NY Post:

“I would say that there’s a handful of players on LIV that would make the Tour a better place, but I’m definitely not in agreement that they should just be able to come back that easily. I think there’s a lot of us that made sacrifices… I would have a hard time with it, and I think a lot of guys would have a hard time with it, and I’m sure we don’t need to convince you why we would have a hard time with it.”

Notably, PGA Tour board member Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler had earlier slammed the prospect of letting LIV golfers back on their circuit without any penalty.