Stefan Schauffele strung together his Olympic dream four decades before Xander Schauffele’s birth, in 1986. The former athlete invested his blood, sweat, and tears to prepare for the decathlon at the 1988 Seoul Games, representing Germany. However, a drive to the training center in Stuttgart turned into a nightmare as a drunk driver collided with Stefan Schauffele.

The two-time major winner expressed that the injury from the devastating accident left Stefan Schauffele completely blind in the left eye. Which cost him his Olympic dream as the injuries left him incapable of participating. His son took it upon himself to fulfill his dream, so why is Stefan Schauffele absent from his son’s side, especially with a potential Olympic medal win on the line?

Will Stefan Schauffele no longer coach Xander Schauffele?

Stefan Schauffele lived his Olympic dream through his son. Xander Schauffele clinched the gold medal at the Kasumigaseki Country Club at the Tokyo Olympics in Japan. That night, Sr. Schauffele kept the gold medal beside him and slept with it. It was a huge win for him, as he had trained Xander Schauffele all his life. However, now the 2-time major winner has appointed another swing coach, as per CNN reports. 

Since last year, the 32-year-old has started working with renowned coach Chris Como. And their partnership seems to be working wonders, as Schauffele got rid of the label ‘most talented pro without a major’ and won two shining accolades in two months. Moreover, the 6-time PGA Tour winner has explained that he and his father trust Como a lot. Schauffele has also clarified that the transition from his father to Como was rather smooth.

And the reason he switched was because he wanted Stefan Schauffele to take a rest after taking on all the responsibilities for Schauffele’s career for so long. The 2-time major winner said, “I don’t think he wants to sit on the range, 95 degrees and watch me pound golf balls all day. I wouldn’t want to do that when I’m 60.” Hence, his father now takes a back seat but will still be part of his team and give him the emotional support he needs.

Stefan Schauffele revealed there was another reason behind the change in the swing coach that came last year. It had to do with Stefan Schauffele and his son being unable to find the issue with Xander Schauffele’s swing and why it was not working consistently.

Stefan Schauffele reveals why the change in coach was a game-changer

The change in coach has definitely bore fruit for Xander Schauffele’s career and the change came about all thanks to Sr. Schauffele. A devoted father and exceptional coach, Stefan Schauffele not only guided the PGA Tour pro but also demonstrated exceptional insight into his son’s game. And because of his keen observation and acceptance that something was missing, before securing two major victories in the 2024 season, the nine-time PGA Tour winner had gone an entire year without a win, with his last victory being at the 2022 Genesis Scottish Open.

He was working arduously with his father but they couldn’t find the issue. Stefan Schauffele said in an interview, “We went trial and error, we went empirical, I couldn’t answer it. What is the point here? I didn’t know.” However, Chris Como had immediate answers and as Stefan said, he changed a teeny thing the father-son duo couldn’t do.

The problem was with Schauffele’s hyperflexibility and his release after he had hit a shot. Como quickly adjusted it and it started working for the 2-time major winner to finish at the top of the leaderboard and break his winless streak. As said, Stefan Schauffele will still be with his son’s team, but with his growing age, he will see from afar and celebrate the wins.