Golfing sensation Xander Schauffele has bounced back from his disappointing performance at The Players by putting himself in a strong position at the Valspar Championship. Despite finishing at the bottom of those who made the cut at TPC Sawgrass, the golfer has demonstrated his resilience by making a quick return to the PGA Tour.
Schauffele’s second round at the Valspar Championship saw him score three under par, putting him just two strokes behind the leaders as the tournament heads into the weekend. This return to form bodes well for the upcoming Masters next month, a competition for which Schauffele is eager to be in peak condition.
The golfer shared insights into his preparation strategy, involving frank conversations with his caddy, Austin Kaiser. Schauffele’s approach is to play more golf, believing that practice is crucial to getting back to his 2024 form. He’s been candid with Kaiser about his game plan, acknowledging there’s much to work on.
The American golfer was open about his subpar performance at The Players, saying, “81 [at The Players] and, you know, a pair of hockey sticks or whatever I shot are bad scores, obviously.” He added that he and Kaiser have been together for a while, allowing for open communication about his game.
Schauffele used this opportunity to work on some areas of his game, despite the challenging conditions at The Players Championship, where water hazards abound. He said, “I wanted to see where my game was at, and boy did I find out quickly.” But he wasn’t surprised by the outcome and took it as a chance to refocus on playing golf, not just playing golf swing.
Leading up to the Valspar, Schauffele put in extensive practice, exceeding what his medical team might have recommended. He confessed, “Probably more than most of the people on my team want, but I feel pretty good and I’ve been pretty honest with them on how everything’s feeling, so so far so good.”
As he continues to recover from his injury, Schauffele has admitted to finding some shots more challenging than others. An example he gave was the 16th hole, where he attempted a tight draw with a hybrid, but ended up pull hooking it. He said, “So just some small stuff where I can feel myself standing over the ball a little bit longer than I used to versus when I was playing a little bit better just thinking stuff. So just got to get that stuff out.”
In regards to his overall game and recovery progress, Schauffele expressed satisfaction. He said, “Yeah, it’s a process. I’m aware of that… This is one of those places where it can get away from you quick or you can kind of hang in there and your name will be up there on Sunday late in the day. So I’m just trying to play golf.”
As the Valspar Championship heads into the final rounds, Schauffele will be aiming to close the gap with leaders like Viktor Hovland, who has also been finding his form. With his impressive comeback, Schauffele has shown that he’s a force to be reckoned with on the green.