‘Strong-Arm Tactics’: Xander Schauffele Nearly Lost His Ryder Cup Spot Amid Patrick Cantlay’s Money Over Patriotism Controversy

Xander Schauffele, seen as a key figure for the U.S. Ryder Cup team, was almost going to miss making it to the competition at Marco Simone due to a dispute with the PGA of America regarding player agreements. This issue was highlighted during Xander’s father, Stefan Schauffele’s interview with The Times.

Following monetary disputes involving Patrick Cantlay for this Ryder Cup, Schauffele also confronted a similar issue, This tension with PGA adds a disheartening end to an already challenging year for the golf community. Let’s learn more about it.

Schauffele’s father talks about the agreement dispute

Stefan Schauffele revealed that his son, Xander Schauffele, almost missed out on a spot in the 2023 US Ryder Cup team due to a contractual disagreement. Speaking to The Times, Stefan highlighted that the main point of disagreement was the terms of the participation agreement.

One particular issue was the proposed access given to Netflix to the US team locker room from which the players wouldn’t receive any direct financial benefit. Schauffele and his close friend, Patrick Cantlay, sought changes to the player agreement.

They specifically asked to restrict Netflix’s access for the Full Swing season 2, to the team locker room. Captain Zach Johnson took note of this concern, and after deliberation, the entire U.S. team unanimously agreed to keep cameras out of their private space.

Schauffele’s father claimed that the PGA of America employed “strong arm tactics” during the disagreement. However, the matter was finally settled just weeks before the competition began at Marco Simone. After the Ryder Cup, Stefan Schauffele expressed frustration at the PGA of America’s approach to the contractual disagreements as the Ryder Cup neared.

Sharing his concerns with The Times, he said, “The PGA of America were not willing to even talk to us about [the three amendments].” Coming extremely close to when the team was scheduled to arrive in Rome for practice, they stated, “If you don’t sign it by then, you’re off the team’, but they never gave us the contact information of their legal counsel.”

Read More: As ‘No Hat’ Patrick Cantlay Sparks Controversy, 4x Ryder Cup Veteran Paints a Definite Picture of ‘Split’ Locker Room Rumors

Resolution for the disagreement

On the Saturday morning of Labor Day weekend, September 2nd, the head of the PGA of America became aware of the situation. It turns out he wasn’t the one hindering the process. The lawyers were then connected with the PGA of America’s chief legal advisor. After a few hours of discussions, the issue was resolved.

He mentioned, “Then I received a message that Xander was back on the team. That you can quote. That’s the extent of this and I think it’s shameful.” Cantlay and Xander’s financial focus at the Ryder Cup caps off what has been a particularly challenging year in golf. What do you think about this? Let us know in the comments below.

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