Xander Schauffele isn’t at East Lake for the first time in his career, the result of a rib injury that cost him two months at the start of the season. He never quite found any momentum in his game with his swing out of sync.
“It would be nice to have three months off. That would be ideal if we were being honest,” Schauffele said at the BMW Championship . “I feel like I need to get as far away from golf as possible very soon. That’s how I feel.”
That’s not the reality, however. Schauffele had such a big year in the majors last year — winning the PGA Championship and The Open, top-10 finishes in the other two — that he was among the first to clinch a spot on the Ryder Cup team.
Three months? The Ryder Cup starts in 38 days.
Schauffele was among the players who confirmed to The Associated Press in July that the U.S. team planned to play at the Procore Championship in Napa, California, the week of Sept. 8-14, two weeks before the Ryder Cup. The exception would be Bryson DeChambeau, suspended when he bolted to Saudi-funded LIV Golf in 2022 and then was among those who sued the PGA Tour.
It might also be missing Schauffele.
“I’m not sure,” Schauffele said when asked if he would be there. “I haven’t signed up yet. It would be nice to play, but if I don’t think playing is going to help me, then I won’t play.”
Despite his recovery from a rib injury that led to his swing getting out of sorts, Schauffele extended his cut streak to 71 — exactly halfway to the record held by Tiger Woods. He also managed six finishes in the top 12 and two top-10s in the majors.
“I think I understand more than I did before,” he said. “The frustration before was more not understanding why I was doing certain things. Now I know why I’m hitting it bad and don’t know how to fix it. So, frustration for different reasons. I don’t know what’s worse.”
He kept his attitude in good shape — the California native is renowned for his positive attitude regardless of his results — and he looks forward to sorting it out.
“I love golf. I love trying to figure it out,” he said. “But it’s been a trying year. I definitely need to hit the reset button. The next step will be to come back with a solid plan and stick to it.”
Read the full article here
