Many of the top players in this year’s Masters are speaking before the tournament on subjects ranging from the state of their golf game to the state of the course to … other strangeness. We’ll gather their words here throughout the week until the Thursday morning tee times.
AUGUSTA, Ga. — This time last year, Xander Schauffele wasn’t quite saddled with an “underachiever” label, but the questions were starting to simmer. Posting 11 top-10 finishes, and six top-5 finishes but zero wins in majors over a seven-year career will do that.
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And then, all Schauffele did was win two majors — the PGA Championship and the Open Championship — and just like that, the entire narrative around his career flipped on its head. He returns to Augusta not as a guy seeking a major, but as a star with intentions on completing the career grand slam. What a difference a year makes.
As the first player to enter the media center for the 2025 Masters, Schauffele radiated confidence. Two majors will do that for you, even if he says that he hasn’t changed.
“I don’t really wake up and feel more accomplished. I feel like the same guy,” he said. “My dream is just to give myself another chance coming down the stretch. I think I said that after the PGA, at The Open, if I can get myself in a spot to win this thing, I feel pretty good about doing it.”
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It’s not exactly breaking news to say that the world No. 3 player might win this major, but for Schauffele, success breeds success. The victories at Valhalla and Royal Troon gave him the knowledge that he can close out the most important tournaments in the world, and he’s carrying that with him into Augusta this week.
“I think that kind of [confidence] goes for every major I play in now,” Schauffele said. “If I can get myself in a good spot. … I’m going to fail at times, but man, I think I can deal with it a lot better than I used to be able to before, before winning.”
A serious rib injury slowed Schauffele earlier this year, benching him for about two months. He’s not all the way back, but he’s glad to be off the couch and back in the game.
“I’ve never really dealt with injury before, so I’ve never really been sidelined,” he said. “I’m trying to find all the positives to attach to the situation. … Sitting at home thinking all these thoughts, watching everyone else play golf and sort of fly by me, it’s been very motivating.”
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Speaking of motivating … Schauffele was asked whether it was “motivating or intimidating” to see Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler continuing to post strong finishes while he was out of commission.
“Just motivating,” he smiled. “There’s so many guys that have played at a really high level, and luckily I’ve learned that I can play at that level.”
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