Adam Scott plays a shot from a bunker on the 15th hole during the third round of the BMW Championship golf tournament. Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Adam Scott opens up about deciding against joining LIV Golf

By Chelena Goldman | Last updated 9/21/22

If one trend in the current golf landscape has been made apparent this past year, it's this: When it's rumored that a PGA Tour or DP World Tour player is thinking about jumping ship to join LIV Golf, then it's probably going to happen. (Even if said player takes forever to admit they're defecting to the rogue league, a la Cam Smith.)

But longtime pro Adam Scott has bucked that trend. The Australian publicly mulled the idea of moving to the breakaway league back in February, admitting he was keeping an open mind because of LIV Golf's relatively relaxed schedule. But he has since removed himself from that conversation and was even in attendance when Tiger Woods held his PGA-positive meeting over the summer.

So, in a world where many of his contemporaries have jumped ship, what changed Scott's mind?

"The one thing I haven’t grasped is giving up my entire professional life and trying to achieve these things here and just leaving it behind," Scott told the press ahead of the Presidents Cup, which tees off Thursday in North Carolina. "I’m obviously not ready to do that."

Knew Adam Scott had considered LIV, so I asked him why he’s stayed. Thought this was interesting:

“The one thing I haven’t grasped is giving up my entire professional life and trying to achieve these things here and just leaving it behind. I’m obviously not ready to do that.”
— Dylan Dethier (@dylan_dethier) September 21, 2022

Scott's comments are certainly interesting given how many stars have lashed out after joining Greg Norman's Saudi Arabia-funded league. Golfers who chose to leave were suspended by the PGA Tour and lost their standing in the Official World Golf Ranking because LIV doesn't qualify for ranking points. Despite knowing those significant consequences before defecting, LIV Golf's biggest names are still up in arms about no longer qualifying.

It is also understandable that Scott doesn't want to leave his legacy behind. The 42-year-old veteran has 14 PGA Tour wins and 14 international wins. Plus, he is participating this week in his 10th Presidents Cup, the most out of any golfer in the field.

Of course, whether Scott changes his mind in the future remains to be seen. At least for now, however, it appears PGA Tour fans will get to continue watching him compete against some of the biggest names in the world.

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