Xander Schauffele ready for Ryder Cup after becoming dad for first time

Schauffele missed the Tour Championship for the first time in his career this season.
Despite the time off, teammate Justin Thomas says Schauffele is rested, excited, and ready to play.

FARMINGDALE, NY — The last time we saw Jupiter’s Xander Schauffele, he was walking off the course at the BMW Championship, his season over after finishing outside the top 30 in the FedEx Cup standings.

It was the first time in his career he did not qualify for the Tour Championship.

Then, after securing enough points to be an automatic qualifier for the U.S. Ryder Cup team, Schauffele had good reason to skip the Procure Championship in what became a Ryder Cup tune-up for most of his teammates.

On August 29, he and his wife, Maya, became parents for the first time when son Victor was born. Maya is home with Victor so she missed the Welcome Dinner Sept. 23 for the Ryder Cup golfers and wives.

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“It’s been awesome,” Schauffele, ranked No. 4 in the world, said five days before the start of the Ryder Cup.

“I miss him a bunch. I had to sort of rip the Band-Aid when I was leaving the house, just kiss him on the forehead and walk out before I started staring at him. 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.”

All of which means of the 24 players in this year’s Ryder Cup, Schauffele enters the tournament having gone the longest since playing a competitive round – six weeks.

Justin Thomas not worried about Xander Schauffele’s golf game

Teammate and friend Justin Thomas, though, is not worried about the nine-time PGA Tour winner and two-time Ryder Cup veteran. Thomas, who lives in Tequesta, has first-hand knowledge Schauffele is ready.

“I’ve played a bunch of golf with him, probably three or four days last week, and the first day just being back with him … it was good to have him back,” Thomas said Sept. 22. “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.”

How ready? Despite not playing much golf lately while “trying to be a good teammate to my wife,” Schauffele said he “surprised” himself at how good he felt the first two days of practice at Bethpage Black.

“It was good to prepare at home on what was limited sleep but sort of a much clearer head than in season,” he said after taking off three weeks around the time Victor was born.

“But it was nice to not think about golf at all and rest up and try and help Maya and take care of little man.”

Tom D’Angelo is a senior sports columnist and reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at tdangelo@pbpost.com.

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