Scottie Scheffler Blames LIV Golf for 'Splintering' Ahead of Players Championship

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler blamed players who defected to LIV Golf for the relatively understated turnout for this week's 2024 Players Championship.

"If the fans are upset, then look at the guys that left," Scheffler told reporters Tuesday. "We had a tour, we were all together and the people that left are no longer here. At the end of the day, that's where the splintering comes from.

"As far as our tour goes, like I said, we're doing our best to create the best product for the fans, and that's really where we're at."

Colloquially called golf's "fifth major," the PGA Tour event will see feature few of the sport's most notable stars as the game's top names continue defecting to the Saudi-funded startup. Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Dustin Johnson are among the big names who won't be in the field.

All of the aforementioned players took advantage of massive offers from LIV to defect despite the tour not being recognized by the Official World Golf Rankings.

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This article will be updated soon to provide more information and analysis.

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