For Jon Rahm there are "still too many questions to be answered" about the peace deal between the PGA and European tours and the Saudi-backed rebel circuit LIV Golf.
"A lot of people feel a bit of betrayal from (PGA) management," golf's world No.2 said.
But for Dustin Johnson, one of the most high-profile defectors to LIV, there is clarity and trust.
Johnson said he heard straight from the boss - the future chairman of the LIV-PGA Tour Yasir Al-Rumayyan - that plans for any combined events outside of majors and select exceptions would not be in place until next season.
"LIV will go into 2024 and they are doing the schedule now. That's the plan," Johnson said.
"As far as I know, 2024 we'll have a full schedule just like we did this year."
The contrast added to the sense the establishment tours have been outmanoeuvred.
But PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan indicated they had little choice.
Monahan responded to a potential US Senate inquiry into the merger by blaming congressional inaction for the tours' decision.
In a letter sent to the Senate, Monahan said promises of backing meant little without action to help the PGA Tour fend off litigation and the poaching of stars.
"While we are grateful for the written declarations of support we received from certain members," the letter read, "we were largely left on our own to fend off the attacks, ostensibly due to the United States' complex geopolitical alliance with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
"This left the very real prospect of another decade of expensive and distracting litigation and the PGA Tour's long-term existence under threat."
Rahm found out about the deal when his phone began pinging while he was making breakfast for his family.
"I thought my phone was going to catch on fire at one point," he said on Tuesday ahead of this week's US Open, the staging of which at the Los Angeles County Club has been overshadowed.
"I understand why they had to keep it so secret.
"It's just not easy as a player that's been involved, like many others, to wake up one day and see this bombshell.
"That's why we're all in a bit of a state of limbo, because we don't know what's going on and how much is finalised and how much they can talk about, either.
"You want to have faith in management, and I want to have faith that this is the best thing for all of us, but it's clear that's not the consensus.
"We don't have any of the answers we'd like. The general feeling is that a lot of people feel a bit of betrayal from management."
Others, from both sides, wanted to focus on the golf.
PGA stalwart Rory McIlroy cancelled a planned media conference while Los Angeles-born Collin Morikawa said, "This week means so much," adding he would "not waste my energy on anything else".
LIV's Brooks Koepka, who has been paired with McIlroy for the opening round on Thursday (Friday 0654 AEST) along with former Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama, said: "There's four weeks a year I really care about and this is one of them.
"I saw it on TV. Watched a little bit of the interview, and that was it. Just went out and practised."
Australia's Cameron Smith tees off with defending champion Matt Fitzpatrick and Sam Bennett (0632 Friday AEST).
- with agencies
