March 6 – Xander Schauffele is one of the few players who eagerly anticipates the cold breezes and long rough of the PGA Tour’s early West Coast swing.
So, when the San Diego native began experiencing problems with his side a few days before Christmas, he decided to keep working out even though his trainer was out of town renewing his visa. Schauffele was determined to prepare himself for the start of the 2025 season.
“It was a kind of perfect storm,” he explained on Wednesday. “I was left alone, and apparently I’m still a toddler.
“I kept training and golfing and golfing, and I’m used to having someone hold my hand or perform something as simple as soft tissue work. I didn’t get any help, and I believe that is what put my back against the wall.”
That included flying to Maui for the season-opening The Sentry, confident that he could handle the discomfort even without his team. Schauffele finished tied for 30th, then flew to Florida to compete in the inaugural TGL match.
That was the last time Schauffele competed until this week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational. He missed the entire West Coast swing, including two events at his favorite Torrey Pines in San Diego, after being diagnosed with an intercostal strain, which is a small tear in his right rib cartilage.
The downtime was exacerbated when the PGA Tour moved the Genesis Invitational from Riviera Country Club to Torrey Pines in honor of those affected by the wildfires in Los Angeles.
“I was sitting at home on the West Coast, that sucked for me,” he responded. “One of my ambitions is to play Torrey South earlier this year, with long rough, cold, South only. So missing Torrey twice sucked. I tried. I tried.
“There is nothing worse than hitting a wedge out of thick rough and everything coming to a complete stop; you could make it worse. So, with long-term goals in mind, that was an easy decision for me.”
Schauffele’s return to the Arnold Palmer Invitational this week marks the beginning of his long-term goals. Then comes The Players, followed by next month’s Masters, one of only two majors he did not win in 2024.
Schauffele said he arrived at the Bay Hill competition rusty, but with a clean bill of health after a series of CT scans, ultrasounds, and MRIs. He wanted a clean bill of health after seeing fellow stars Scottie Scheffler and Jordan Spieth recover from their own recent injuries that required surgery.
“I feel like I’ve been very conservative with everything. “Hopefully it pays off,” Schauffele said. “If things go south, I won’t be scared to back off, just because it’s, you know, what’s down the road is more important.”
