Golf's Money Hypocrisy: Schauffele Questions the Sport's Obsession with Cash
By James Colgan
August 21, 2024
Three years and countless billions later, the influx of money in professional golf hasn't brought universal happiness. Fans remain frustrated, stakeholders are clinging on, and even players, despite their unprecedented wealth, are questioning the sport's obsession with cash.
Xander Schauffele, a two-time major champion and current second on the PGA Tour's money list with over £14 million in on-course earnings this season, is one such player expressing bewilderment. He is poised to add to his hefty total at the BMW Championship, the second of three PGA Tour playoff events offering a combined £80 million in prize money.
Schauffele, a strong contender for both the BMW and the FedEx Cup - whose £20 million top prize would double his seasonal earnings - sees his current success as a testament to his skills, not necessarily a financial windfall. While he acknowledges the financial benefits, he points to the discrepancy between golf's earnings and those of other professional sports, particularly the NFL.
"You look at the top-10 quarterbacks," Schauffele stated, "Scottie Scheffler has won seven times, including Olympic gold, and he's made significantly more than everyone else." He continued, "If you look at the 10th-best player in the world, they're not going to even come close to what Scottie has made. That just shows you how well he's played in these big tournaments."
Indeed, Scheffler sits atop the PGA Tour's single-season money list with over £23 million, while the tenth-ranked player, Shane Lowry, has earned just over £4.4 million. This stark contrast is further emphasised by Schauffele's comparison to NFL quarterbacks, noting that the top earner receives around £48 million, while the tenth and fifteenth ranked players still earn in excess of £40 million.
Schauffele's observations highlight a larger hypocrisy within golf. While other sports celebrate athletes landing lucrative contracts, the same financial success is often met with criticism in golf.
"When someone gets a £240 million contract in other sports, there are all these positive comments about how they've earned it and deserve it," Schauffele remarked, "It's interesting to me. I think maybe golf is a gentleman's game and you're not supposed to talk about money, but all the media wants to do is talk about money."
This perceived hypocrisy has fuelled the ongoing golf culture wars. The sport's obsession with money has created a cycle of negativity, from the LIV Golf controversy to the PGA Tour's counter-offensive and the subsequent public outcry against both.
For players like Schauffele, who have refrained from taking Saudi money, the financial frenzy has created an unsettling sense of disillusionment. While the PGA Tour and LIV Golf have reached an uneasy truce, the question of Saudi investment in the sport remains a contentious issue.
Beyond the human rights concerns associated with Saudi involvement, the influx of money has eroded the sport's spirit of integrity and sportsmanship. The pursuit of financial gain has overshadowed the core values of the game.
The irony lies in the fact that despite the financial rewards, players like Schauffele remain driven by the simple pursuit of victory.
"I think the players that make the most money donât think about money because itâs just not the most important thing," he said. "Winning £20 million would be really cool and really nice, but I donât think itâs going to change my life, and I can tell you if I lose and play bad, Iâm going to be pretty upset about playing bad and not being able to peak at the right time."
For Schauffele, winning, not wealth, is the ultimate goal. And perhaps, in a game increasingly defined by money, this refreshing simplicity is exactly what golf needs.
