Augusta, Ga. — After securing two of the four major championships that were the breakouts of 2024, Xander Schauffele found himself in a crazy position earlier this year.
After suffering from cost-related tension and cartilage tears during the offseason, a tear in the rib cage at the time. Two players from around the world tried to play through it at Sentry Invitational. However, he realized that he needed more time and rehabilitation.
While spending more time with his wife and dog and bold TV shows, Schaufele also listened to golf, only to be seen when his peers were unable to win the tournament.
“I’ve never really dealt with injuries before, so I’ve never been on the sidelines,” Schaufele told Augusta National on Monday. “I’m trying to find all the positives to stick to the situation. I’ve not been hurt before and I’m sitting at home thinking all these thoughts.
“…When I saw everyone else playing golf and flying by my side, it was very motivated.”
Schaufele did his best to stay patiently in the healing process, but the winners of the PGA Championship and Open Championship saw Rory McIlroy surpassed him in second place in the official world golf rankings following his victory in Pebble Beach and Player Championship.
“Rolly has played incredibly many times this year, already winning a couple and overflowing through what looks like a hard golf course,” Schaufele said. “There are a lot of people who played at a very high level. Fortunately, I learned that I can play at that level too.”
Schaufele returned to the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Bayhill and played a total of four events leading up to the Masters. He’s still rolling up to form, but he made all four cuts and was tied up to 12th place at Valspar Invitational two weeks ago.
He believed in the finish there, and he didn’t feel as if he was swinging more freely and holding the handle tightly.
“It was a process of going back to that,” Schaufele said. “I don’t have a lot of people doing that, but there’s a lot I can pull back.
Mentally, Schaufele said he believes he has turned the corner in the past month after going through what he called a sad process – he runs a range of feelings about his injuries, including anger, disappointment, frustration and acceptance.
Now, Schaufele is beginning to make him think about what he can do, not what he can’t do, but what he can do, such as winning a third major.
“I think I think it’s similar. I really wake up and nothing more accomplished. I feel like the same guy,” Schaufele said. “I think the big difference is when you enter those spots. My dream is to give myself the chance to lower the stretch.
“After the PGA, I think I said that if I could get myself open and win this thing, I would feel pretty good about doing it. I think I’ll go to every major I play now.
From being one of the best players to not winning majors to getting two in a month, Schauffele’s story quickly turned over. The topic of completing a Grand Slam at some point in his career is a feat that now appears to be feat. Augusta, which makes him feel like a “candy shop kid,” helps him to prove to be a suitable place for his game.
“Believe it or not (won the Grand Slam) was always thinking before I won any of them,” said Shaufele, who has had four top-10 finishes in the Master since 2019.