No. 1-Ranked Scottie Scheffler Says LIV Golfers Suing PGA Tour Is 'Frustrating'

The top-ranked golfer in the world, Scottie Scheffler, isn't thrilled with the 11 LIV Golf players who have filed an antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour, including Talor Gooch, Hudson Swafford and Matt Jones, who are seeking a temporary restraining order that would allow them to play in the upcoming FedEx Cup playoffs.

"I'm definitely curious to see what's going to happen," Scheffler told ESPN's Mark Schlabach. "It's one of those deals where those guys kind of made their decision to go join another tour and they broke the rules and regulations of our tour and now they're trying to sue us, which is definitely a bit frustrating. I heard that was going to happen and I know some guys aren't surprised to see it, but I definitely am surprised to see some guys now suing us."

The PGA Tour has banned any player who defected to LIV Golf from participating in its events.

Scheffler added that whatever the courts decide in regards to Gooch, Jones and Swafford, it won't have any impact on his preparations.

"If they win, come out here and play, I mean, that's something that's up to the courts," he said. "I can't control what's going to happen in a court case. Definitely interested, but at the end of the day it has no effect on my preparation for the week."

Scheffler, who has four PGA Tour wins under his belt this season, is the main attraction at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, though the LIV Golf defectors remain a hot topic in the world of golf.

The Saudi-backed series is incredibly controversial given the accusations that it is another endeavor by the Saudi Arabian government to sportswash its human rights violations.

LIV Golf has reportedly thrown huge sums of money at the golfers who made the switch, with reports that Dustin Johnson received a $125 million payout just for joining on top of any potential winnings from events themselves.

Other reports have suggested that Phil Mickelson received up to $200 million to join LIV Golf, while Bryson DeChambeau reportedly took in $100 million. And Tiger Woods reportedly turned down an offer in the ballpark of $700-800 million to make the switch.

The downside for those players, outside of the accusations that they are complicit in a sportswashing endeavor, is that the PGA Tour has banned them from its events, though the legality of such a move is currently being challenged.

Regardless, Scheffler said he's happy being a part of the PGA Tour.

"For me, I feel like the PGA Tour is the best place to play," he said. "My dream was to play on the PGA Tour. My dream was never to maximize my financial benefits. I feel very blessed and fortunate to play golf and get paid for it, so for me, I'm not looking to go out and do anything else."