Google News
Xander Schauffele is quickly becoming big everywhere. He’s big in San Diego where he was born and raised and where he honed his golf at high school and college. He’s big in Las Vegas where he recently moved with his wife and was last week awarded the keys to the city.
He’s big in Germany where his father Stefan grew up and dreamed of being an Olympic level decathlete before a car accident stunted that. He’s big in Wisconsin after celebrating in epic fashion, perhaps a little too well, with fans in the aftermath of recent Ryder Cup glory.
And he’s really big in Japan where his grandparents reside and where he returns this week for the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP around two and a half months after winning the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Xander Schauffele, statements
“I feel not that I failed on the PGA TOUR season, but I didn't really accomplish what I wanted to.
And I did get worse in certain categories throughout the year. But I was able to step up to the plate in tournaments that don't count for the PGA TOUR… it's an interesting feeling. I feel like I've had success, but then again I missed out on a lot of things that I wanted to accomplish.
So, a weird space that I'm in mentally, but overall, I think celebrating the Ryder Cup win with my teammates sort of got me over the edge of feeling like I failed this season. I usually don't look at my numbers that soon, but we were at the Ryder Cup and they had all the numbers and I'm guilty of wanting to know what they are, so I just asked them and that's what they told me.
So I told them thank you for the kick in the rear end to be better”. "Whether it was a par-3 contest out here on TOUR, me winning with a lead, I just had to get over that hump and I was able to do it. And the magnitude of the event in Tokyo, obviously with my family and my dad and everyone there and me wanting it more and more and more as I would fail in final groups, there was a lot of pressure sitting up there.
So for me to be able to pull it off, especially in that fashion, was a good feeling. The people in Japan love golf and it's always nice to play in front of them, even if it is a limited number. I’m looking forward to it for sure.
It’s always really cool to get announced on the first tee as the gold medalist and that will be like that for quite some time which is just nice and I'll take full advantage of that".
