There is a reason you always see Xander Schauffele in Japan. This is the sixth time he is teeing up at the Zozo Championship. “I love Japan, and I love being here,” said the two-time major winner last year. The food? Yes. the culture?  Yes. The people? Yes, that too. But there is something more. 

Schauffele has a special family connection in the island nation. Actually two. Firstly, the two-time major winner’s extended family members stay in Japan. Schauffele’s mother, Ping Yi, was born in Chinese Taipei. But later her family moved to Japan, and she was brought up here. 

Currently, his grandparents and uncles from his mother’s side reside near Tokyo. Notably, in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Schauffele was supposed to enjoy home support away from home. Of the 100 family members who live in and around Tokyo, 40 planned a trip to the Kasumigaseki Country Club. However, COVID restrictions barred them.

The 31-year-old wrote in an article for The Strait Times last year, “My mom Ping Yi was born in Chinese Taipei and grew up in Japan. Hence, we have family in both Chinese Taipei and Japan.” Yin met Stefan Schauffele while studying at San Diego University.

There is one more tie Schauffele has with the country of 123M. His wife, Maya, has Japanese roots as well through her mother. Seen from that light, it’s not hard to understand why Xander Schauffele values a victory in the Zozo Championship so much. Safe to say it won’t be far off from Collin Morikawa’s triumph last year.

Xander Schauffele is looking to add a ‘cherry on top’ of his phenomenal season

2024 has been Schauffele’s breakthrough year. After netting multiple top-tens in majors since turning pro, the San Diego alum finally broke through at this year’s PGA Championship. Again, at the Open, Xander Schauffele proved that he is more than capable of adapting to the challenging conditions that Links Golf brings. 

Nevertheless, Schauffele has been winless in regular PGA Tour events this year. And a victory at the Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club would mean something more than just another title. “It would be a cherry on top. A lot of my family will be out and my grandparents will be out,” the 31-year-old said before the Zozo Championship started.

The first round was a tumultuous ride. Schauffele saved 16 pars and made one birdie but was undone by a quadruple bogey on the par-4 9th. Schauffele’s ball landed on the base of a tree. But instead of taking an unplayable, the two-time major winner went for it. He wasted two shots before taking a penalty drop and carding an eight. 

“Definitely I think having false confidence helps at times and in those spots it really doesn’t,” Schauffele said, regretting his decision. But he was also hopeful of a comeback and in the second round, he played a neat bogey-free golf with five birdies to post 65. Schauffele’s best finish was a T9 two years back. Certainly, he is expecting to better that with a leaderboard-topping finish by Sunday.