Xander Schauffele is honest enough to admit that he’s had enough. He wanted and needed a break from golf, which is why he pulled out of Tiger’s Hero World Challenge event in the Bahamas last December. He didn’t return to professional golf until the Sentry Tournament of Champions in early January after not playing since the Zozo Championship in October.
The last few months have given him time to decompress and enjoy some downtime for the first time since the pandemic. He has not spoken fully about the fallout from the Ryder Cup, but a text message from his agent tells us he is finally ready to talk. This is his chance to reflect and set the record straight about a few things that have been said and written about him.
There’s a lot to discuss, which is why we need 60 minutes to get his take on rumours linking him with a move to LIV Golf, the PGA Tour’s deal with the Saudis (spoiler: he wants Jay Monahan to go), and the Ryder Cup story which almost broke the internet.
First, though, a recap. The last time we spoke he had just won twice in as many starts in the build-up to last year’s Open Championship. Three times if you include the JP McManus Pro-Am at Adare Manor, the 2027 Ryder Cup course in Ireland.
He was playing the best golf of his career back then, but his 2023 story had been defined by disappointments. He co-led after
