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Scottie Scheffler Has Benefitted From The Elite Talent Pool LIV Golf Drained

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Scottie Scheffler Has Benefitted From The Elite Talent Pool LIV Golf Drained

 

Is Scottie Scheffler (Titleist Pro V1) really that great – to the point where he has drawn comparisons to Tiger Woods (Bridgestone Tour B X) in his prime – or is he the beneficiary of the stars that bolted the PGA Tour for LIV Golf? 

Inasmuch as Scheffler has dominated the PGA Tour, he has really come into his own since LIV poached away many top players, beginning in 2022. 

I’m thinking in particular of Jon Rahm (Callaway Chrome Tour X), who was at the top of his game in 2023, highlighted by his win in the Masters, before he decided to bolt to LIV. 

Many people wonder if Rahm made a mistake signing up with LIV because his game has never been the same. Some might argue he tarnished his reputation taking the LIV offer. But the financial offer, combined with the opportunity to spend more time with his wife and young children, was clearly too much to turn down. Twice he was ranked number one in the world, but that was a while ago. There’s no denying he was an elite player, and his defection to the LIV made one less quality player Scheffler had to face each week. 

And what of Brooks Koepka (Srixon Z-Star Diamond), another former world number one ranked player? Yes, he left the PGA Tour having lost his confidence and his ability to be competitive on a regular basis. But following his first year on LIV, he found his form again and was a key factor winning the 2023 PGA Championship – his third victory in that tournament since 2018 – and tying for second in the Masters. He hasn’t done much since and won’t be part of Team USA in the upcoming Ryder Cup, after playing regularly in the tournament. 

And as another further example, what of Bryson DeChambeau (Titleist Pro V1x Left Dash)? Though he never achieved world number one ranking, he had been as high as number four in 2021. The version of DeChambeau now is not anything like the one we saw back when he was creating a name for himself with his clothing, nutritional science and pure power off of the tee. He had his comeuppance and eventually left for LIV, but DeChambeau 2.0 has shown flashes of his talent since playing in Grand Slam events, notably winning the U.S. Open in 2024 and tying for second in the 2024 and 2025 PGA Championships. He will be part of the U.S. Ryder Cup team. 

And then there’s Cameron Smith (Titleist Pro V1x), winner of the 2022 Open Championship? The Aussie was oozing with talent and posted an impressive T4 in the 2024 U.S. Open and T9 in the 2023 PGA Championship. He left for LIV when his PGA Tour career was just taking off.  

To a lesser degree I’d say Joaquin Niemann (Titleist Pro V1x), Abraham Ancer (Titleist Pro V1x) and Tyrrell Hatton (Titleist Pro V1x) also had potential playing on the PGA Tour before leaving for LIV. 

So if he really that great or the product of the great divide in professional men’s golf? 
Perry Lefko
Perry Lefko
Perry Lefko is an award-winning writer who has published nine books, three of them bestsellers. He has been involved in sports writing for more than 35 years and has interviewed many superstar athletes. He lives in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada and enjoys watching golf and playing it.

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