Xander Schauffele was discovered this week at the Zozo Championship in Japan, where his father’s contentious pay-for-play matter was highlighted at the pre-tournament conference. The media highlighted the occurrence in Rome over player salary. On Wednesday, the golfer responded to statements made by his father, Stephan who is also Xander’s coach.

Golf is an art form that takes a long time to master. It has a large fan base and controversy frequently surrounds it. The media asking back and forth on the scandals is very typical, and the player must prepare himself to face these difficulties.

Xander Schauffelle’s father’s words

Stefan Schauffele, Xander’s father, told The Times that his son’s place on Zach Johnson’s squad was in doubt due to a dispute over an agreement granting Netflix access to the team room for its Full Swing docuseries. The issue reportedly wasn’t resolved until just weeks before a team scouting trip to Marco Simone Golf and Country Club near Rome. Stefan also claimed the PGA of America used “strong-arming tactics.”

During the Ryder Cup, Sky Sports reported that there was tension in the US team room, with Patrick Cantlay at the center of the controversy due to his conviction that Ryder Cup participants should be paid. According to the reporter, Jamie Weir, “Before the Ryder Cup, it was widely reported that (Schauffele and Cantlay) were the ones refusing to allow Netflix cameras access to the team room.”

Speaking to several reporters, the elder Schauffele insinuated that if the PGA of America profits from the Ryder Cup, the players should have that ability as well. He called for overall “transparency” from the organization.

“If the PGA of America is a for-profit organization, they need to have the players share in that profit. Instead of being so damned intransparent about it, they should reveal the numbers. And then we should go to the table and talk, ”he told Dylan Dethier of Golf.com.

Revenues should be donated to charity

He also stated that players would “happily” play for free if the biannual competition’s revenues were donated to charity.

In Japan, Schauffele stated that he was disappointed to learn that his father had discussed the contentious matter with the media, but he ultimately defended the remarks.

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“If you look at what he said, I wasn’t super fired up that he was speaking to media just because I know how things get twisted. I had to look back at what he said specifically and he specifically said that if the tournament’s for-profit, then players should get paid,” Schauffele said.

“He also said that if it’s charitable, it should be a charitable event most likely and that everything should get donated,” he added.

The golfer defending his father on his views on the Ryder Cup brings in different views in different minds. Kindly share your thoughts below.

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