Schauffele sets sights on Paris Olympics
MIAMI, Florida: Xander Schauffele has set aside a gut-wrenching runnerup Players Championship finish ahead of his final tune-up for next month’s Masters as he fights to defend Olympic gold in Paris.
The 30-year-old American faded in the final round and lost by a stroke to top-ranked Scottie Scheffler at the Players, but has bounced back for the PGA Tour Valspar championship at Innisbrook in Palm Harbor, Florida.
“I’m always pretty tough on myself, but you kind of put it to rest to a certain extent,” Schauffele said, calling the loss a “gut punch.”
“I played some really good golf. I was just there, again, in a good spot to win a golf tournament and didn’t get it done.
“I wouldn’t say I was too hard on myself. I accepted it. Was overall pretty pleased with how I was able to play. Just another close call under my belt for now.”
Fifth-ranked Schauffele hasn’t won since the 2022 Scottish Open, but since then has five top-10 efforts this year, 11 top10s last season with two runnerup finishes and two top-10s in the 2022 PGA playoffs.
“I feel like the best is in front of me,” Schauffele said. “And the only way it’s not going to be in front of me is if I let all these things get to my head and not play my game.”
That means shrugging off missed putts and taking a run at the Valspar crown before taking two weeks off and then trying to capture his first major title at Augusta National.
Schauffele has 11 top-10 finishes in majors without a victory, but matched his best major finish by sharing second at the 2019 Masters.
He wants the chance to defend his Tokyo Olympic title at Paris by staying in the top four among US players in the world rankings, a group that now includes Scheffler, Schauffele, 2023 US Open champion Wyndham Clark and seventh-ranked Patrick Cantlay.
“The world rankings is a bit of a free for all right now for the American side,” Schauffele said. “I’m in right now, and I intend on playing at a very high level and qualifying for Paris, and giving myself a run at it again.”