Xander Schauffele addressed the media forward of this week’s BMW Championship.
PGA Tour
Xander Schauffele checked his telephone as he sat all the way down to Tuesday’s media availability forward of the BMW Championship.
“What, am I early?” he requested. “I often wait for many of you guys to filter.”
It was a becoming line from Schauffele. The assembled group of reporters laughed; the World No. 2 is low-key humorous. However he was additionally telling the reality; the World No. 2 tends to not lie, even when he’s poking enjoyable. In spite of everything, he does are likely to schedule his press conferences for 3 or 4 or 5 p.m., by which era different gamers have spoken and different information has damaged and the occupants of media facilities have grown in any other case occupied.
However maybe he ought to present up early extra typically.
Schauffele held court docket for the subsequent 30-plus minutes, discussing the whole lot from his season vs. Scottie Scheffler’s to the annual salaries of NFL quarterbacks to coping with anger on the golf course. Schauffele can nonetheless carry a status as stoic, staid, understated, regardless of his major-championship wins and the truth that he’s enjoying the second-best golf on the planet. However with higher event outcomes come higher questions, and with higher questions come higher solutions. On the mic, Schauffele is hitting his stride: direct, trustworthy, humorous, insightful.
Right here’s what he advised us.
1. He’d take Scottie Scheffler’s season over his personal.
Golf-media varieties have been debating Scheffler’s season vs. Schauffeles. And positive, it’s doable he’s simply being humble, however right here was Schauffele’s case:
“I’ve gained two occasions and he’s gained seven. We each have numerous high 10s. That’s sort of how I’m drawing it up. I do know that’s the way you guys draw it up.”
Positive, Schauffele’s two majors trump Scheffler’s one. However Scheffler gained the Gamers (over Schauffele, who pale on Sunday) and the Olympics (the place Schauffele was the proud defending champion) and if these issues internet out about even, the additional Signature Occasion wins function one thing of a tiebreaker. Benefit Scottie.
“He’s been enjoying unbelievable golf. I really feel like we’re all simply chasing him. I’ve performed most likely one of the best job of getting the closest to him, however it’s nonetheless very far-off,” he mentioned.
2. There’s a motive he appears so stoic on the golf course.
What’s the final time Schauffele threw a membership or received visibly pissed off throughout a event?
“I don’t know. That’s a great query. For you, at the least,” Schauffele mentioned, deadpan, ultimately cracking a smile at Doug Ferguson, the beloved Related Press reporter who’d posed the query. However then he provided an insightful reply.
“I get pissed off typically,” he mentioned. “I rapidly attempt to appropriate myself, simply realizing that it doesn’t do me properly. I don’t function properly after I’m too offended or too blissful. If I ever get too chatty on the golf course, I lose give attention to what I’m attempting to do, and if I get too offended, I lose give attention to what I’m attempting to do, as properly. I attempt to keep within the center lane of my thoughts.”
3. There’s some fascinating backstory there…
“First yr on the Korn Ferry [Tour], I’d received by Q-school and I used to be fired up, and right here I’m, a child recent out of faculty and I’ve received my card already, that’s fairly particular. Then I made 25 grand, I’m floating [caddie] Austin with me each week and paying him greater than I’m making, we’re rooming collectively and I’m offended on a regular basis.
“It was numerous self-reflection, I suppose, at the moment to comprehend that I used to be actually pissed off and I felt like I used to be enjoying first rate golf, I used to be simply lacking cuts by one shot and I used to be simply having these little mini-meltdowns on a regular basis. Bought my act collectively, mounted that after which received my [PGA Tour] card my rookie yr.
“Identical factor [a year later], I used to be about to lose my card after which I Mondayed into the U.S. Open and the remaining is historical past. I used to be in a position to flip it round. Two years of beating myself up in lodge rooms and simply realizing that I have to cease sort of appearing like a baby in my very own manner is how I got here to that conclusion.”
4. He has a brief reminiscence — however nonetheless remembers his “worst loss.”
Schauffele was two putts from defending his Sentry title at Kapalua in 2020 however took three putts to get his ball within the gap as an alternative. From there, he remembers by no means having an opportunity.
“I received in a playoff after which I used to be so rattled from three-putting, had an inside meltdown and chunked a chip off the perimeter or one thing — I can’t bear in mind. I’m fairly good at being a starfish in terms of stuff; I neglect. Three-second reminiscence right here and I neglect about it.
“However I simply bear in mind three-putting there, was actually excited, amped up, downwind putt, whacked it seven toes by, missed it, was in full shock, then had to enter a playoff. Had no probability of profitable that factor, clearly.”
Schauffele remembers the aftermath, too:
“I bear in mind sitting within the lodge room trying on the flooring and my spouse Maya is asking me if I’m okay and I used to be like, ‘You’re going to have to provide me at the least 10 or quarter-hour.’”
There have been happier moments since.
5. He doesn’t take into consideration cash whereas he’s placing.
I’ve typically puzzled this whereas watching late on Sundays; when execs are in competition however haven’t any probability to win, are they doing psychological math about how a lot every stroke is price? Not in actual time, Schauffele mentioned.
“I actually don’t assume there’s any professional out right here that’s sitting there, like, oh, if I make this putt I’m going to make 50 extra grand or 80 extra grand. Somebody would possibly say it to them after the very fact, however if you’re in there, you’re attempting to make an eight-footer that’s proper edge. You’re sitting there like, all proper, I’ve hit this putt a number of occasions, let’s see if I can roll this factor in.
“Then you definitely hit a nasty putt and also you need to go straight to the placing inexperienced and hit an eight-footer that’s proper edge.”
6. He thinks golfers and cash have gotten a nasty rap.
“The media has been an attention-grabbing factor to me the final two or three years,” Schauffele mentioned, requested in regards to the more and more sizzling subject of cash in professional golf. “The information that I do learn, it’s humorous, it’s actually unfavorable. It’s painted actually negatively in golf, which is ok. I believe individuals prefer to hate on something lately.
“However after I have a look at different sports activities, when somebody will get a $300 million contract, there’s all these optimistic feedback about how somebody received their bag or they’ve labored so laborious to get this and so they deserve it, issues like that. It’s attention-grabbing to me. I believe possibly golf is a gentleman’s sport and also you’re not supposed to speak about cash — however all of the media desires to do is discuss cash.”
Xander Schauffele calls out golf’s cash hypocrisy — utilizing NFL QBs
Mockingly, Schauffele added, the gamers that take advantage of cash give it some thought the least.
“I imply, profitable $25 million [the FedEx first-place prize] could be actually cool and very nice, however I don’t assume it’s going to alter my life, and I can inform you if I lose and play unhealthy I’m going to be fairly upset about enjoying unhealthy and never with the ability to peak on the proper time — greater than dropping cash.”
7. Talking of cash (and Scheffler): he thinks Scottie deserves each penny.
Ought to golfers be paid like quarterbacks? If Scheffler wins the FedEx Cup he’ll be over $60 million in on-course earnings this yr; the highest-paid NFL QBs make round $55 million yearly. However as Schauffele identified, Scheffler’s season is a little bit of a unicorn.
“Scottie has gained seven occasions, I believe that’s together with Olympic gold — possibly eight, I don’t need to mess that up — and he’s made considerably greater than everybody else,” he mentioned. “When you have a look at how a lot the Tenth-best participant on the planet has made, it’s not going to smell how a lot Scottie has made. [He’s right: 10th on the Tour’s money list is Shane Lowry at $5.5 million]. That simply exhibits you ways properly Scottie has performed in these huge tournaments.
“You have a look at the No. 1 quarterback, he’s getting $60 million after which the No. 10 quarterback is getting 52, after which No. 15 is getting 39 or 40,” he continued. “So it’s like, clearly there’s far more cash in soccer with TV and the whole lot that’s surrounding it. It’s laborious to match them one v. one as a result of Scottie has simply been that rather more elite, and I believe he deserves the whole lot that he’s getting.”
8. He’d like U.S. captain’s picks to prioritize one factor.
Is it higher to choose a veteran or a rookie for a U.S. group — say, for this fall’s Presidents Cup? If these are doorways A and B, Schauffele is choosing C…
“I don’t know … greater than the veteran or the rookie, most likely extra the horse of the course, in all honesty,” he mentioned. “I believe your objective is to win the Cup in any respect prices. You’ve received to choose the appropriate man for the appropriate course.”
…and D. “Clearly he has to get together with everybody,” he added.
He brushed apart the veteran-rookie dichotomy — “doesn’t actually matter,” he mentioned — however projected forward to subsequent month.
“Montreal, apparently it’s not some loopy huge property, it’s extra old-school with possibly fashionable greens is what I’ve heard. I’m pondering of some form of slim course that you simply’ve received to hit numerous fairways, the tough goes to be up, received to be an honest putter, hitting photographs into elevated greens — so possibly a little bit of a higher-ball hitter.”
9. He’s nonetheless gunning for World No. 1.
Scheffler has been so dominant that the hole between World No. 1 (Scheffler, 18.37 factors) and World No. 2 (Schauffele, 11.38 factors) is bigger than Schauffele’s lead on World No. 12 Tommy Fleetwood. However that hardly means Schauffele has given up on the pursuit.
“It’s a really huge objective of mine, sure, and I’ve been advised, sure, that Scottie is an outlier and several other years, I might be [World No. 1]. But it surely’s not likely ok, is it? That doesn’t take away from what I’ve performed or how I really feel. I’m proud with the work that I’ve put in and with the individuals which can be round me and which have helped me. It’s only a outcome. I hold saying it, however it actually is. I’m simply going to maintain knocking. That’s what I do.”
That’s what he does.
10. Golf was love at first sight.
Schauffele was requested whether or not he’d moderately be an NFL QB and brushed that off, declaring that he’s “very blissful” trying within the mirror most days. He talked about his youth soccer days, too, and eager to have extra management over the results of a group sport.
“Then I noticed my dad enjoying golf, and we talked about the way it’s a person sport, and as quickly as I began hitting golf balls on the vary and seeing a golf ball fly, it was sort of love at first sight,” he mentioned. “For me, I’ve all the time cherished simply enjoying golf. I’ve all the time cherished hitting golf balls.”
He’s gotten fairly good at it within the years since. He could not love the sport in the very same manner — “sitting on the vary as a 12-year-old, 13-year-old hitting 600 to 1000 balls, I don’t do this anymore,” he mentioned — however he’s realized to relish the method as an alternative.
“I simply actually take pleasure in that problem,” he mentioned. “It’s an ongoing battle. It’s a extremely laborious one to win. New alternatives all the time appear to current themselves. That’s the a part of golf I really like essentially the most.”
