AUGUSTA, Ga. — After securing two of the 4 main championships in what was a breakout 2024, Xander Schauffele discovered himself in a maddening place at the start of this 12 months.
After struggling an intercostal pressure and a cartilage tear to his ribcage throughout the offseason, the then-No. 2 participant on the planet tried to play via it on the Sentry Invitational. He realized, nonetheless, that he needed more time and rehab.
Between spending extra time together with his spouse and canine and binge-watching TV reveals, Schauffele additionally tuned in to golf and will solely look on as his friends tried to win tournaments he could not.
“I’ve by no means actually handled damage earlier than, so I’ve by no means actually been sidelined,” Schauffele mentioned Monday at Augusta Nationwide. “I am looking for all of the positives to connect to the state of affairs, and me not being damage earlier than and sitting at residence pondering all these ideas …
“Watching everybody else play golf and type of fly by me, it has been very motivating.”
Whereas Schaufele did his finest to remain affected person amid the therapeutic course of, the reigning PGA Championship and Open Championship winner watched as Rory McIlroy surpassed him for No. 2 within the Official World Golf Rating following wins at Pebble Beach and the Players Championship.
“Rory has been enjoying unbelievably nicely this 12 months with a pair wins already and sort of breezing via what appears to be like like laborious golf programs,” Schauffele mentioned. “There’s so many guys which have performed at a extremely excessive degree, and fortunately I’ve realized that I can play at that degree, too.”
Schauffele returned at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill and has performed a complete of 4 occasions main as much as the Masters. Although he is nonetheless rounding into kind, he made all 4 cuts and, two weeks in the past, completed tied for twelfth on the Valspar Invitational.
He credited his end there to letting himself swing extra freely and never feeling like he was holding on to the steering wheel so tightly.
“It has been a course of to get again to that,” Schauffele mentioned. “I haven’t got a ton of reps doing it, however there’s lots for me to attract again on, type of earlier accomplishments to type of let that confidence develop.”
Mentally, Schauffele mentioned he looks like he is turned a nook within the final month after going via what he known as a grieving course of — the place he is run the gamut of feelings concerning his damage, together with anger, disappointment, frustration and acceptance.
Now, Schauffele is beginning to permit himself to consider what he can do as a substitute of what he cannot, together with successful a 3rd main.
“I might prefer to assume I really feel comparable. I do not actually get up and really feel extra achieved. I really feel like the identical man,” Schauffele mentioned. “I feel the large distinction might be after I get in these spots. My dream is simply to offer myself one other likelihood coming down the stretch.
“I feel I mentioned that after the PGA, at The Open: If I can get myself in a spot to win this factor, I really feel fairly good about doing it, and I did it. I feel that sort of goes for each main I play in now. If I can get myself in a great spot … I’ll fail at instances, however man, I feel I can cope with it lots higher than I used to have the ability to earlier than, earlier than successful.”
From being the most effective gamers to by no means win a significant to successful two within the span of a month, the Schauffele narrative has flipped shortly. The subject of finishing the Grand Slam sooner or later in his profession is a feat that now seems possible. It helps that Augusta, which he mentioned makes him really feel like “a child in a sweet store,” has confirmed to be a spot that matches Schauffele’s sport.
“Imagine it or not, [winning the Grand Slam] was at all times a thought earlier than I gained any of them,” mentioned Schauffele, who has 4 top-10 finishes on the Masters since 2019. “It is lots cooler to be lots nearer to that dream of mine at 31 versus 35 or 36 [and] not having gained one.”
