Scottie Scheffler: 'Players have no clarity' on PGA Tour and LIV Golf merger

Scottie Scheffler won the Masters - his first major title - by three strokes in 2022

World number one Scottie Scheffler says players still do not have "clarity" on the proposed PGA Tour merger with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF).

Last month's shock merger announcement came after a year of unprecedented disruption in the men's game following the launch of PIF-funded LIV Golf.

A US Senate panel held a meeting on Tuesday to discuss the deal, which Scheffler says lacked detail.

"I just think that we didn't really learn a whole lot again," he said.

"They keep saying it's a player-run organisation [but] we don't really have the information that we need. I watched part of yesterday and didn't learn anything so I really don't know what to say.

"It's just a framework agreement right now so I don't know what that entails. We are not involved in any of the discussions. None of the players were involved in the original framework agreement."

During the three-hour hearing, senators heard the deal with the PIF would be worth "north of $1bn" to the PGA Tour and its strategic alliance partners, Europe's DP World Tour, which also signed up to the framework agreement that was announced on 6 June.

It was also revealed that Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy could have been offered ownership of LIV team franchises had they agreed to switch allegiance prior to the merger, and Greg Norman could be sidelined from his position as commissioner of the LIV tour.

'He has a lot of tough questions to answer'

Meanwhile, defending Scottish Open champion Xander Schauffele echoed Scheffler's calls for more "transparency" for players.

"Most of the players on the PGA Tour are together, want to be informed and want to have a say in what happens," he said.

"There isn't much communication right now and things are a little bit unsettling. There is a bit of a divide between management and the players, if you want to call it that.

"My hope is that a positive thing coming from that will be more communication, more transparency, and understanding which direction the Tour will go with us being the ambassadors of it."

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan is set to return to his post on 17 July after a "medical situation", and Schauffele says "the guy was supposed to be there for us".

Asked if his feelings towards Monahan had changed, Schauffele said: "Yes. Yes, they have. We got a memo that he'll be back on the 17th.

"If you want to call it one of the rockier times on Tour, the guy who was supposed to be there for us, wasn't.

"Obviously he had some health issues. I'm glad that he said he's feeling much better but I'd say he has a lot of tough questions to answer on his return.

"I don't trust people easily. He had my trust and he has a lot less of it now. So I don't stand alone when I say that."