Xander Schauffele’s Ryder Cup Spot Nearly Lost Over Netflix Dispute
Xander Schauffele, the No. 6 ranked player in the world, found himself at the center of a controversy just weeks before the Ryder Cup event. According to his father, Stefan Schauffele, Xander was nearly kicked off the U.S. Ryder Cup team due to a dispute involving Netflix.
Netflix had reportedly requested full access to the U.S. team room in order to capture footage for an upcoming season of their show, ‘Full Swing.’ However, two weeks prior to the event, it was announced that Netflix would not be granted full access. This decision was made to ensure that there were no distractions for the U.S. team.
However, Stefan Schauffele revealed that there was more to the story. Both Xander Schauffele and his teammate Patrick Cantlay wanted amendments made to a player participation and benefit agreement contract created by the PGA of America, the governing body that runs the U.S. side of the Ryder Cup.
Among the amendments that Schauffele and Cantlay requested was the denial of Netflix cameras into the U.S. team locker room. These amendments needed to be addressed before the event began, but the PGA of America failed to provide the contact information of their legal counsel, according to Stefan Schauffele.
It wasn’t until Saturday morning of Labor Day weekend that the head of the PGA of America became aware of the situation and put the legal teams in contact with each other. After a few hours of negotiations, the issue was finally resolved, and Xander Schauffele was reinstated on the team.
Stefan Schauffele expressed his disappointment with the way the situation was handled, calling it “shameful.” This incident adds to the drama surrounding the U.S. Ryder Cup team, which has been embroiled in controversies throughout the event.
Earlier in the week, it was reported that Patrick Cantlay decided to play without a hat as a form of protest against the PGA of America not directly compensating players for their participation in the Ryder Cup. The team has tried to present a united front, but rumors and reports of divisions within the team have painted a different picture.
Overall, the incident involving Xander Schauffele and Netflix highlights the tension and behind-the-scenes negotiations that take place leading up to major sporting events like the Ryder Cup. It also underscores the importance of communication and transparency between players, team management, and governing bodies to avoid such controversies in the future.