Xander returns to golf at Ryder Cup looking for year-ending win
FARMINGDALE, N.Y. (AP) — Xander Schauffele was away from golf long enough that he understood why U.S. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley and some teammates texted him to check in when he skipped a tournament in Napa, California, that they were all playing.
“Hey, how you doing?” they wondered.
Schauffele feels much better now — and is ready to return to the sport after life took precedence over the past several weeks. The fourth-ranked player in the world is a dad now, and after a trying year, the Ryder Cup this weekend at Bethpage Black is a chance to end the season on a winning note.
“It was good to prepare at home on what was limited sleep but sort of a much clearer head than in-season,” Schauffele said Tuesday. “Surprisingly playing kind of nice. I know I surprised myself when I came out.”
Becoming a father after his wife, Maya, gave birth to the couple's first child Aug. 29 will almost certainly be what Schauffele remembers 2025 for. Not the rib injury that kept him out for two months or the inability to find his groove professionally.
Schauffele finished in the top 10 at the Masters and the British Open but missed the Tour Championship for the first time in his career. At his last event, the BMW Championship in mid-August, the 31-year-old wished for three months off and a reset button.
Staying home provided a welcome respite. Taking care of Victor — “That’s my middle name (and) no, I didn’t name him after Viktor Hovland,” Xander said — put the focus on family.
“Obviously didn’t do a whole lot of golf for a bit, having him and trying to be a good teammate to my wife,” Schauffele said. “It’s been cool to sort of learn what it’s like to be a dad, and I look forward to everything that comes with that.”
Schauffele kissed his young son on the forehead and left for Long Island before he could get too emotional. Getting back in the locker room with teammates brought some fun back to golf and shifted him back into competition mode.
And although he has not won a tournament this year, Schauffele is a two-time major champion, and U.S. teammates aren't worried about him flipping the switch.
“It was good to have him back,” Justin Thomas said. “He’s just chirping all the time. He’s excited. He’s rested — well, I guess somewhat rested with the baby situation at home. But he’s excited and ready to go.”
Thomas, something of an elder statesman with the most experience among Americans going into his fourth Ryder Cup, added, “You’re always going to get the same Xander no matter what, and that’s the one that we all know and love and sometimes hate.”
Perhaps not hate, but Schauffele five weeks ago felt the “need to get as far away from golf as possible.” He does not share the same feeling now, knowing the chance to bring the Ryder Cup home would do wonders for his mindset.
“Nothing (is) as warm and fuzzy as winning one of these things,” Schauffele said. “Our team knows it’s a process and what we need to do to get it done. It would help me forget a lot about what happened in 2025.”