via Reuters
Golf – The 149th Open Championship – Royal St George’s, Sandwich, Britain – July 18, 2021 Xander Schauffele of the U.S. on the 18th fairway during the final round REUTERS/Rebecca Naden
via Reuters
Golf – The 149th Open Championship – Royal St George’s, Sandwich, Britain – July 18, 2021 Xander Schauffele of the U.S. on the 18th fairway during the final round REUTERS/Rebecca Naden
The man currently carrying the bag for Xander Schauffele is Austin Kaiser. It’s a partnership that has been there for the entirety of Xander Schauffele’s tour career. And Austin Kaiser has seen it all from five PGA Tour wins and recently a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. But who is Austin Kaiser? Let us find out.
Who is Austin Kaiser?
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Austin Kaiser is currently the caddie for Xander Schauffele, and the pair have known each other for over ten years. However, Kaiser has been on caddying duties only for the last five years.
They both were part of the same collegiate golf team, the San Diego State Aztecs, where Austin was a decent player for San Diego Aztecs. During his junior season, Austin started 12 of 13 tournaments, and ranked fourth on the team, and posted four top-20 finishes. But his dream since childhood was something else. He never wanted to be a golf player or a caddie.
via Reuters
Tokyo 2020 Olympics – Golf – Men’s Individual – Final – Round 1 – Kasumigaseki Country Club – Kawagoe, Saitama, Japan – July 29, 2021. Xander Schauffele of the United States walks during competition. REUTERS/Murad Sezer
As a child, Austin Kaiser wanted to be a cop after finishing his schooling. And he even signed up for the police academy and was about two months from going through all his schooling for it when Xander called him and said, “Hey I need a caddie, and I think you would be great. We’re buds, and you know my game more than almost anybody.” And so Austin gave it a try.
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He also helped Schauffele earn his PGA Tour card and played his first game in 2015. However, Xander made his first cut in 2016 at Safeway Open and won his first PGA Tour in July 2017.
What does Austin Kaiser think about Xander Schauffele?
“We have a perfect balance of professionalism and friendship,” said Kaiser, who lives in Point Loma. “I told him many times, I don’t think I’d work for anyone else.”
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“If Xander fired me and Tiger or any of those guys came up to me, I wouldn’t caddie for anybody else. Because I don’t have that emotional attachment. It’s like being drafted by your favorite team growing up. You can’t get that with anyone else. I think I have the best job in the world.”
