Patrick Cantlay rules out LIV Golf move after Presidents Cup comments
Patrick Cantlay will not be one of the next PGA Tour players heading to LIV Golf.
Patrick Cantlay continued to rule out any imminent move to join the LIV Golf Tour without even directly being asked about it during his winning press conference at the BMW Championship on Sunday.
Cantlay has been heavily linked with a move to the Saudi-backed circuit ever since he said "I don't have any plans to leave at the moment after the FedEx Cup" last month.
Despite strong rumours that seven players will be jumping ship to LIV Golf after the FedEx Cup Playoffs at the end of this month, Cantlay, who became the first ever player to defend a FedEx Cup Playoffs event on Sunday, confirmed he will not be one of those players.
Cantlay was not directly asked about LIV Golf in his press conference, but his future plans came out when quizzed on whether he prefers playing with or against his good friend Xander Schauffele, who joined him for all four rounds in Wilmington last week.
The line that confirms Cantlay's commitment to the PGA Tour - at least for now - is when he says that he will be playing in the Presidents Cup, which takes place at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte from September 22 to 24.
"I'll tell you what, I like being on the same side as him a lot more than going head-to-head against him," said Cantlay, who now moves to third in the Official World Golf Rankings.
"I'm already looking forward to Presidents Cup, playing with Xander.
"We play head-to-head every practice round all year when we're in the same events. We definitely play a lot of golf against each other, and he's gotten the best of me and I've gotten the best of him, it just depends on the day."
You can therefore also rule Xander Schauffele out of a move to LIV Golf anytime soon, in that case.
Meet the that will be representing the #USTeam#PresidentsCup pic.twitter.com/THrhtoSlic
— Presidents Cup (@PresidentsCup) August 21, 2022
Cantlay and Schauffele are two of the names already confirmed as qualifiers in Davis Love's United States Presidents Cup team.
The duo teamed up admirably at the last Ryder Cup where the United States demolished Europe, and they also combined to win the Zurich Classic team event in New Orleans earlier this season on the PGA Tour.
As the Presidents Cup is organised by the PGA Tour, anyone who has hit a tee shot in a LIV Golf event will be suspended and ineligible from competing in PGA Tour events, which includes the biennial contest between United States and the Internationals at the Presidents Cup.
Of course, Cantlay and Schauffele could still move to LIV Golf after the Presidents Cup or even be announced as new signings for the 2023 LIV Golf League, we'll just have to wait and see.
Cantlay is looking to become the first player to defend the FedEx Cup at the Tour Championship this week, and he will start two shots behind World No.1 and FedEx Cup leader Scottie Scheffler at East Lake.
The unofficial LIV Golf Latest Twitter handle claims to have heard a vicious rumour about Cantlay and Schauffele being linked to LIV Golf in recent weeks, so who knows what could happen moving forwards.
Interesting that Xander/Cantlay is the final pairing today. Here’s a RUMOUR I never posted.
PC initially turned down $80 million to join LIV then changed his mind, was told offer no longer on the table but if you get XS you both get $50 million each as a package deal.#LIVGolf
— LIV Golf Latest (@LIVGolfLatest) August 21, 2022
Cameron Smith is currently down to compete in the International Presidents Cup team, but given it seems he has already agreed to join LIV Golf ahead of their next event in Boston at the start of September, the 150th Open champion will become ineligible to compete in the contest.
Smith would certainly appear to be one of the seven rumoured players to be joining LIV Golf ahead of the Boston tournament.
Rumours suggest there will be a few other International Presidents Cup players heading to LIV Golf, to add to captain Trevor Immelman's headache.
Marc Leishman, Joaquin Niemann and Hideki Matsuyama are three International names being heavily linked with a move to LIV Golf.
Matsuyama has apparently been offered a huge $400 million move to LIV Golf.
England's Tommy Fleetwood has ruled himself out of joining LIV Golf.
GolfMagic recently predicted the 48 players we expect to see on the LIV Golf League in 2023.
