Q. How was it out there? Seemed like it was going pretty well.
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, wasn't aware of all the fairways hit. Definitely nice to hit all of them, especially on this property. Definitely for the most part I felt like I was in control and felt like I was attacking the golf course versus playing defensive.
Q. Seemed like some of the most generally aggressive play we have seen from you in maybe a little bit. Wondering where you feel like your game is at physically at this point of the year?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, I mean, it's always easy to be aggressive from the fairway here. There's quite a few wedges if you're able to hit it in some sort of tight spots, which we were able to do today. Might as well take advantage of the greens being just a hair softer. But I think they're slowly firming up.
Q. Was there a difference in you driving it yesterday and today?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I hit every fairway, yeah.
Q. Did you do anything different in the warm-up?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I saw Chris last night just for a little bit, about 7:30 before the sun went down, and tried to get some sort of feel to go with. I felt like it was close. I hit a lot of really good iron shots yesterday, and if I'm doing that, I know the driver and sort of longer stuff isn't too far off.
Q. Are there any holes out here that make you think a little bit more than others? I mean they're all kind of a challenge.
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: There's a lot of them, yeah. There's a lot of holes that definitely catch your attention based on wind direction and just intimidation factor, period.
Q. No one special?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I mean, still trying to play this tournament here. Just not going to go through all of them.
Q. Why do you think it's been kind of feast or famine for you at THE PLAYERS?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I'm not sure. Couldn't tell you. Just try to come in, this is a really big tournament. I think everyone sort of tries to come in with their whole team and feeling good and all those things. So just happy to be playing well right now.
Q. Do you still feel like you're far off from where you were two years ago? Do you feel like you're getting back to that confidence level or how you're swinging it?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I'm definitely hitting a lot of really good golf shots. I think even earlier in this year I started hitting a lot of good golf shots again. 2024 was a year full of really good results, and right now I think we're a little bit more focused on the process bit of it and trying to make sure things are sort of ironed out and in a decent spot, and then after that you go and compete.
Q. You're not a guy that needs the results?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I mean, mentally it's definitely nice to have some results, but I enjoy working. It's a lot of fun to try and get yourself back into a good spot, and obviously if you can reap the rewards quickly, that's even better. But I know it's a long deal here.
Q. Keegan was talking earlier about how the Ryder Cup has lingered for him a little bit. I know it's like kind of an unusual thing for you guys to try to stay in the moment so aggressively. I'm wondering if you've ever had an event that really stuck with you for a while afterwards?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I'm a pretty like happy-go-lucky guy for the most part. So not really. Kind of. I'll get over it, once I start kind of practicing again and getting back into the swing of things. Or if I, you know, hang out with some friends I'll just forget about it eventually. So I can't think of anything right now that really sticks out.
Q. That's probably healthy.
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah. Maybe.
Q. You're obviously just thinking about your own game and worrying about the tournament, but did you notice you were beating Rory by 11 over two days? Does it mean anything at all to be that far ahead of him? I realize you got 119 other guys too.
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, I mean I felt like I was just in my own world, to be honest. He was grinding. You could tell he was trying to make that cut, and he hit a lot of really good shots coming in to make it. So, yeah, I mean, the first two rounds of golf is kind of a positioning battle, and so is tomorrow and a little bit on Sunday too. So just happy to be in this position.
Q. Has your approach changed much having gone through what you went through last year?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, I would say so, a little bit. I try to get spoon-fed some information from my team. I ask them to spoon-feed it to me versus kind of just giving me too much info. I feel like I want the information and I feel like I can take it, but I don't think I can always take it.
Q. Was it overwhelming at times?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah. Yeah. Just too much. Being out there and thinking all this stuff and not really thinking about just making a pass at a certain number, thinking about the flight and all those things that you kind of do when you hit all the fairways and hit a lot of greens and make putts. So nice to kind of get back into that a little bit.
Q. What's an example of that?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: What's that?
Q. What's an example of that recently that, where it a worked out being spoon-fed some info.
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: What's that? What do you mean?
Q. What's something that you felt like they just gave you that you liked it that way.
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I don't know what you're asking.
Q. Similar positioning to two years ago here, have they given you any insights that you may use that experience to help you out this weekend?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, I mean, I think this, we had sort of the easier wave yesterday with a little bit of rain, and then it softened the course. Today the greens were firming up a little bit. I think the course is just going to get firmer and firmer and firmer as long as we don't get any more rain. So I think lines will change and certain flights into holes will change. Might have to play a little defensive at times, but only time will tell.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports