Xander Schauffele

Lore & Background

Schauffele was born on October 25, 1993, in San Diego, California, to Chen Ping-Yi and Stefan Schauffele. His mother was born in Taiwan but grew up in Japan before moving to the United States. His father Stefan was born in Stuttgart to a French-Austrian mother and a German father. Stefan was an aspiring decathlete whose career was ended by a drunk driver; during recovery he became interested in golf. Schauffele's father introduced him to golf at age nine. Schauffele played soccer in his youth before focusing on golf. He attended California State University Long Beach and later transferred to San Diego State University, where he graduated in 2015.

In Their Own Story

The Quail Hollow air hung thick and humid, late July 2020. Schauffele stood over a ten-footer on the 18th, the flagstick just left of center, the gallery a rustling wall of silence. His caddie said nothing—didn't need to. They'd rehearsed this a hundred times in their heads, on a hundred back nines. Schauffele set his feet, felt the grain, and let the putter swing through like a metronome tick. The ball rolled, kissed the fringe, and dropped. He didn't pump. Didn't shout. Just a slow exhale, a nod to his caddie, and the quiet walk to the clubhouse where the trophy was already waiting. The loudest sound in the stadium was the flagstick being pulled.

Reader's Guide

Schauffele turned professional in June 2015 and earned his Web.com Tour card through qualifying. He made his PGA Tour debut at the CareerBuilder Challenge. His first PGA Tour victory came at the 2017 Greenbrier Classic. He won the 2017 Tour Championship as a rookie, becoming the first rookie to win that event. He has since won the WGC-HSBC Champions (2018), Sentry Tournament of Champions (2019), and two major championships in 2024: the PGA Championship and the Open Championship. He also won a gold medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Did You Know?

• Schauffele's father Stefan was his only swing coach from age nine until Xander was 30.
• Schauffele began working with Chris Como, formerly a coach of Tiger Woods and Bryson DeChambeau, in November 2023.
• Two of Schauffele's great-grandfathers played soccer in Europe; one played for the Austria national football team.
• Schauffele holds San Diego State University records for lowest tournament score against par (−17) and career scoring average (71.50).
• He defeated Beau Hossler to win the 2014 California State Amateur Championship.