PGAT’s ‘Old Guy’ Xander Schauffele Confesses His True Feelings on the Strange Nature of American Express

At The American Express, Xander Schauffele dazzled in Round 3, carding a flawless 9-under 63 at La Quinta’s PGA West Pete Dye Stadium Course. His bogey-free performance marked a substantial improvement from his previous day blunder of a double bogey, tainting his scorecard.

Schauffele’s inconsistent performances on the greens this week alone can arguably be chalked off to how “weird” he believes the American Express event has been so far. And in an interview that followed his third round, the  ‘old guy‘ on the tour reveled in the unique dynamics of the competition that the tournament has brought out in him and everyone else on the field!

Xander Schauffele opens up about the challenges the American Express flaunts

Xander Schauffele found himself in a moment of reflection after an outstanding Round 3 at American Express 2024. The media probed with a thoughtful question, delving into the essence of his seasoned status: “You’re well established,” they noted. “How are you feeling, big picture, about your game as you’re heading into the season?” The query lingered, prompting Schauffele to share insights into his mindset, experiences, and the unique challenges that come with being a well-established figure on the PGA Tour.

In response, Schauffele shared insights, with a touch of humor and reflection, about the unique challenges that come with being an established figure on the PGA Tour. “It’s weird,” he stated, claiming with maturity that he felt like an “older guy.”

The PGA Tour star then addressed the scenario where the cut line was set at a whopping 13-under, and every player, including the likes of Sam Burns, Cantlay, JT Poston, and Si Woo Kim, was consistently making birdies. He even opened up about feeling disoriented after making par at three or four holes in a row, causing him a sense of losing sight of the tournament’s competitiveness.

Amidst his honest confession, Xander Schauffele also attributed certain factors to his inconsistent gameplay to the weather this week. Reflecting on the unusual still conditions, he said, “I think it’s just the weather.” Usually there’s a little bit of wind out here.” However, overall, the golf pro was more than happy with his “pretty good” overall performance, which he undoubtedly hopes will be enough to beat his last year’s brilliance there!

Schauffele’s 2023 superhits at the American Express

A year ago, at the same event, Schauffele made history. The golf pro shot an albatross, or as many know it, a double eagle, on Sunday at hole 5. With that stroke of brilliance and a 225-yard drive, he made the Tour’s first albatross that year, the previous one coming from Stephan Jaeger at the 2022 John Deere Classic!

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Although he could not grab a win, losing out to Jon Rahm, Schauffele carded an impressive 25 under and finished tied for third. The seven-time PGA Tour winner’s remaining stats at the event were more than stunning too, having achieved an average driving distance of 309.9 yards and a driving accuracy of 66.7%. Not too shabby for 3 eagles, 13 birdies, and an impeccable 100% success rate in saves, don’t you think?

Schauffele will certainly be looking to one-up his final roun feats from last year, and with just hours to go till he tees off, only time will tell whether he’ll be able to.

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