Xander Schauffele’s Journey to Winning the 2024 PGA Championship
LOUISVILLE — Xander Schauffele’s win at the 2024 PGA Championship was a story of persistence and overcoming obstacles. Schauffele, who picked up golf later than many of his peers, initially pursued soccer but grew frustrated because he couldn’t control every aspect of the game. He switched to golf, but his journey was not smooth.
In his junior years, Schauffele didn’t dominate the competitive golf scene in San Diego. His father, Stefan, avoided the big junior tours, calling them a “money grab” and saying they made kids feel entitled. Schauffele was in the same high school class as future stars Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas but received little attention from college scouts. He started at Long Beach State before transferring to San Diego State, where he won three times.
Stefan Schauffele was a constant source of tough love and motivation. “He bred an underdog mentality into me from a younger age—’You need to go get it, because nothing is going to be handed to you,'” Xander has said.
This mindset helped Schauffele in his pro career. By 30, he had seven PGA Tour victories and had played for the U.S. three times in international competitions. Despite his success, Schauffele often found himself just short in major championships. He had two runners-up, two third-place finishes, and 12 top-10s in 27 major starts.
On Sunday in Kentucky, Schauffele’s chance came again. He started strong with a first-round 62, tying the record for the lowest round in a major. He led or shared the lead for three rounds. The big question was whether he could finish strong.
Schauffele faced pressure, especially on the last two holes. However, he stayed calm and made a six-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to finish with a six-under-par 65, beating Bryson DeChambeau by one shot. His 21-under-par 263 total at Valhalla was the lowest score ever in a major. This victory moved Schauffele to No. 2 in the Official World Golf Rankings and ensured he would defend his Olympic gold medal in Paris in July.
“I’ve become very patient not knocking off any wins in the last couple years,” Schauffele said. “The people closest to me know how stubborn I can be. Winning is a result. This is awesome. It’s super sweet.”
A week before, Schauffele had a tough finish at the Wells Fargo Championship, where Rory McIlroy overtook him in the final round. It had been nearly two years since his last win at the 2022 Genesis Scottish Open. Many doubted his ability to close out tournaments, but Schauffele used this doubt as motivation.
“Definitely a chip on the shoulder there,” he admitted. “It just is what it is at the end of the day. You guys are asking the questions, probing, and I have to sit here and answer it. It’s a lot easier to answer it with this thing [Wanamaker Trophy] sitting next to me now, obviously. It’s just fuel, fuel to my fire. It always has been growing up, and it certainly was leading up to this.”
Schauffele’s father, Stefan, who had been at his side for most of his career, was not at Valhalla. He was in Hawaii, taking care of the family property. They stayed in touch throughout the tournament, and on Saturday night, Stefan sent Xander a motivational text with a German proverb: “Steady dripping caves the stone.”
“It means stick with it,” Stefan explained. “Be persistent. Be tenacious. See through your course.”
Schauffele did just that. After his first-round 62, he followed with two rounds of 68. On Sunday, he was tied at the top with Collin Morikawa, a two-time major winner. Schauffele aimed for a final score of 22 under, telling his caddie Austin Keiser that someone would have to beat him if he reached that goal.
Despite a bogey on the 10th hole, Schauffele responded with birdies at the 11th and 12th. He held his lead and, on the 18th hole, made the birdie putt that secured his victory. The ball rolled around the edge of the cup before dropping in, and Schauffele looked up to the skies in relief.
Schauffele’s journey to his first major title at the PGA Championship was marked by hard work, persistence, and overcoming setbacks. Finally, he could call himself a major champion.