LIV Golf ready to sign PGA Tour stars Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele
Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele are two of the biggest names on the PGA Tour mulling over shock moves to LIV Golf in 2023.
LIV Golf is reportedly going after two of the world's best PGA Tour players in Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele ahead of the 2023 season.
It is understood LIV Golf execs want between seven and 10 new players joining them from the PGA Tour before the end of the year.
Of course they would love Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods, but Cantlay and Schauffele are their most realistic targets.
LIV Golf President Atul Khosla told the Guardian in Miami last week:
According to an 'insider' close to GolfMagic, the Saudi-backed circuit is determined to pick up at least three players from the current world's top 15, and four from the top 50.
Our source says at least four big deals "will" be done.
In a report published in the Guardian this week, LIV Golf wants World No.4 Cantlay and World No.6 Schauffele.
LIV Golf only has one player in the World Top 20 in Open champion Cameron Smith, ranked third.
That is largely down to LIV Golf tournaments still being locked out of receiving OWGR points.
They remain optimistic of a resolution soon, though.
Given the close relationship between Cantlay and Schauffele, and their partners, you would anticipate the deadly United States Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup duo will choose the same circuit moving forwards.
Will they stick on the PGA Tour or twist for even bigger days on LIV Golf?
It is believed the teams behind both Cantlay and Schauffele are in close conversations with Greg Norman.
Cantlay also did not rule out the prospect of moving to LIV Golf when asked about it recently.
Golf Lover UK tweeted this week:
Related: LIV Golf WAG throws shade at Patrick Cantlay's fiancee Nikki Guidish
You have to feel, especially with the likes of Cameron Smith, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson all going to LIV Golf between $100m and $200m, that Cantlay and Schauffele will be asking to hit similar numbers.
Should they decide to join then it would all-but end their chances of ever competing in the Ryder Cup together again.
All LIV Golf players remain suspended by the PGA Tour.
Cantlay and Schauffele have not yet won a major championship, but Cantlay is an eight-time PGA Tour winner and 2021 FedEx Cup champion, while Schauffele has won seven times on the PGA Tour on top of picking up an Olympic Gold medal at the 2020 Games.
GolfMagic has been told that Chile's Mito Pereira, who recently made his debut in the Presidents Cup for the International team, will be heading over to LIV Golf in 2023.
It is understood the World No.45 has "already agreed" to join LIV Golf, and given he is also good friends with compatriot Joaquin Niemann it is believed he will join up with his Torque GC.
DP World Tour star Thomas Pieters and Australian major champions Jason Day and Adam Scott are also being heavily linked with a move to LIV Golf.
Pieters and Scott are both just inside the World Top 40 right now, while former World No.1 Day has slipped out of the World Top 100 to 128th.
Other players being rumoured to join LIV Golf, at least if you look on social media right now, include the likes of Cam Davis, Lucas Herbert, Emiliano Grillo, Dean Burmester, Erik Van Rooyen and Sebastian Munoz.
Dustin Johnson, captain of the victorious 4 Aces GC, has already decided to reshuffle his pack for 2023 by trading one of his players for Peter Uihlein.
LIV Golf executives told the media last week that there will be a number of key changes made to its new LIV Golf League in 2023.
One of them is a move to 60 players with all teams afforded one substitute player. Check out the other changes here.
