For most players on the PGA Tour, just making the cut isn’t a headline-worthy feat. But when you’re inching closer to a record set by none other than Tiger Woods—arguably the greatest golfer of all time—it’s a different story.

So, we assume you know by now that Xander Schauffele has been quietly building an incredible streak, one that puts him in elite company. His 59 consecutive made cuts is now the longest active streak on the PGA Tour and the sixth-longest in history. The only players ahead of him? Legends like Byron Nelson, Jack Nicklaus, Hale Irwin, and, of course, Tiger Woods, who holds the seemingly untouchable record of 142 straight cuts from 1998 to 2005.

But while Schauffele’s consistency is undeniable, his recent form has raised eyebrows—especially with the Masters on the horizon. Fans would surely want him to win his third major in just a span of two seasons. You see, Schauffele’s road to this moment hasn’t been smooth.

After a T30 finish at The Sentry, he disappeared from competition, later revealing he was recovering from a rib injury. His absence stretched for nearly two months, during which he played just 27 holes, nine of them on a par-3 course. Despite the limited play, he returned at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, making the cut and finishing T40—a solid comeback but not exactly a confidence-boosting performance.

Then came The PLAYERS Championship, where his streak faced its biggest threat yet. Schauffele’s streak was on the line Friday at TPC Sawgrass as he navigated the final few holes. With the projected cut line shifting throughout the day, he found himself in a precarious position. As the top 65 and ties advanced, Schauffele sat at even par, knowing he needed a birdie on the par-5 ninth to stay in the tournament.

“I was thinking about the cut line for sure,” he admitted. Under pressure, Schauffele delivered. His 267-yard approach shot landed 51 feet from the hole, setting up a two-putt birdie that secured his spot for the weekend. “Knew I needed to make birdie. I think two-putting is probably the easiest way to birdie 9, and I was able to do that,” he said. It was a clutch moment, the kind that defines streaks like his. But Schauffele wasn’t exactly thrilled about the rest of his game.

Xander Schauffele isn’t proud of his game

Schauffele may have extended his incredible consecutive cuts, but if you ask him how he feels about his game right now, the answer isn’t exactly inspiring. “It’s pretty gross,” he admitted, pointing to struggles with chipping, hitting fairways, and overall consistency.

Schauffele’s frustration isn’t unwarranted. He’s coming off a rib injury that surely disrupted his rhythm. Last week, he admitted he needs to “pick up the pace”, though he’s trying to stay patient. It’s an unusual position for him—he’s rarely dealt with injuries before. And while he knows the golf season is long, his patience is already being tested.

“Surprisingly, it feels kind of close, which is pretty sick to say,” he noted. “I know a lot of guys say that, but I’ll get a little bit cozier on the range and get in a decent pattern, and then as soon as I get on the course, it seems to get a little bit more crooked. I’m not sure if it’s something setup related or something that I’m not doing that I do on the range, but it feels pretty bad.”

The numbers back up his struggles. A year ago, when Schauffele narrowly finished runner-up at TPC Sawgrass, he ranked inside the top 20 in every key statistical category. This time? It’s a different story. He finished his round Friday; he was 36th off the tee, 115th with his approach, and outside the top 40 in both putting and scrambling. This isn’t exactly an easy stretch to regain form. He was listed in the field for next week’s Valspar Championship, meaning he’s pushing through his struggles instead of taking a break.

And while his doctors advised him to limit his time on the range, Schauffele doesn’t seem too keen on following orders. “I’m supposed to,” he admitted, “but I’m about to blow that out of the water this afternoon.” 

With now inching closer to an incredibly impeccable record, he knows better than anyone that the real measure of success isn’t just making cuts—it’s winning on Sundays. With Augusta looming, Schauffele will need more than just consistency to become a Green Jacket recipient.