Well, if nothing else, Xander Schauffele still has his sense of humor. The reigning PGA Champion and Open Champion walked into the media center at the Genesis Scottish Open and immediately found his photo—smiling, proud, a portrait of golfing excellence—plastered on the wall right below a big sign that read: “TOILETS.”
“That was heartwarming,” Schauffele said with the kind of grin that can only come from a guy who’s had his ego checked by a brutal season and lived to laugh about it. “Summed up how I feel about what’s going on right now. I actually chuckled when I saw that one.”
And that’s the tone Schauffele is carrying into the final stretch of a season that was supposed to be his world tour victory lap, not a grind to stay relevant.
From Career Highs to New Reality
Let’s rewind just a bit: Schauffele won not one, but two majors last year. He stared down Bryson DeChambeau at Valhalla, then played through wind and rain to conquer Royal Troon with a Sunday 65. It was a career-defining double punch that vaulted him to No. 2 in the world.
Fast forward to now? He’s No. 57 in the FedEx Cup and clinging to postseason eligibility. Blame it on a painful rib injury that derailed his start to the season — an intercostal strain and cartilage tear that cost him two months. He figured he’d bounce back. He didn’t.
No Excuses, Just a Mental Marathon
Schauffele owns every inch of this slump. “It’s been a hot one,” he admitted, flashing another smirk that half-hides the sting.
“I probably downplayed it in my own mind — ‘Yeah, you’ll be fine, you’ve been playing great golf, you just came off the best year of your career’ — and I’ve backed it up currently with the worst year of my career.”
The rib’s healed. The swing is mostly intact. But the results? Not matching up.
Still, Schauffele’s strength right now isn’t his swing — it’s his stubborn, day-in-day-out belief that this isn’t the new normal. “The best part of my game has probably been my mental fortitude… just to try to stay positive and behave as if I am playing really well.”
Back on Links, Back to the Basics
Now comes the chase — not for trophies, but for footing. The next two weeks, at the Genesis Scottish Open and The Open at Royal Portrush, are a chance to reset. To simplify. To play “see ball, hit ball” golf on firm, windy links turf where the feel matters more than the stats.
“Something about being here, you start taking your hands off the wheel,” Schauffele said. “That’s how I played my best.”
This isn’t just about making the FedEx Cup playoffs. It’s about reconnecting with the game the way he first fell in love with it. There’s a kind of full-circle beauty to that — from major glory to rock-bottom grind, and now a return to roots.
He’s chasing again. That same fire is flickering again — not yet burning bright, but very much alive. “I’ve been spoiled to play at a pretty high level for quite some time,” Schauffele said. “This has been a fun experience to try to get back on the horse.”
And if that ride starts with a laugh under a bathroom sign, so be it. The smile is still there. You better believe the fight is, too.
