THE MODERATOR: Xander Schauffele joins us now at the 2025 Ryder Cup. Xander, welcome to your third Ryder Cup.
Q. With the rookies on the U.S. Team, can you talk about what you will bring to them, maybe some advice or wisdom from your two previous Ryder Cups?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, once you get to that first tee it's kind of hard to prepare yourself for what's to come. I'm just trying to get some advice from them. They've been kicking my ass all year and playing unbelievable golf.
I think that goes for all our rookies on this team. Try and just honestly make them feel as comfortable as possible as quickly as possible in the locker room, at dinners, on the bus, just talking to them. If they have any questions, try to help them.
But they are very accomplished, and I'm not too worried about them.
Q. In the conversations with you and even with Justin Thomas, you guys have both been here several times. What's the most unique thing you've been asked as far as advice goes coming into a competition like this for some of the guys who haven't been here before?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I mean, J.J. yesterday was sort of asking how I felt year to year playing in these, and I was happy to tell him. I'm as nervous as anybody when I get to that first tee. I'm as nervous as anyone when I need to hole a putt.
But I just told him that there's nothing more rewarding than to be at home and to make a putt to win a hole or to even tie a hole if you're in a bad spot and get these fans going and get them going quickly.
Again, there's so much for you to learn sort of on the fly, and just try and make him aware of that.
Q. A couple questions on the uniqueness of the event. One is the general atmosphere, the songs, the chanting, the banter from the fans. Do you have any particularly fond memories of playing in that environment or interactions with the crowd, anything that sticks out?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: You know, the fans are what make this event special. If you think about not having fans or enough of them, it would be like what we did yesterday, which was really cool, to play with my teammates out here in sort of peace and quiet. But when it comes to getting the juices flowing of the Ryder Cup, you need fans to be there. You need them to do their thing.
I don't have anything sort of -- whether it's everyone singing their songs, they're sort of like pub drinking songs in Europe or the sort of heavy USA chants we get here, I love all of it, to be completely honest.
Q. I can't think of any other sports event where the whole team comes in for a press conference afterwards. The atmosphere in the room at that point can be joyful, obviously, or quite funereal. I wonder if you can talk about what it's like to be in these press conferences after these?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, I've been on both sides of it. I think I've said it before, it's my favorite thing about Ryder Cups, really. Besides the fans, besides all the cool things that come with playing in a Ryder Cup, the bus rides and sort of the in between the week, a winning bus ride and a losing bus ride, those are sort of my favorite -- it's rare to sort of wear a win and a loss with your team. It sucks.
When I blow a tournament on my own, I have to wear that. My team will try and make me feel a little bit better. But nothing feels worse than letting your teammates down, and we get to feel that sort of once a year.
At the same time, as you've seen, I also like to celebrate. Nothing is better than celebrating with your teammates when you are able to clip a win.
Q. Pretty big life moment in the last month. Can you take us through how that's gone? Also, you've not competed for a bit now; can you update us on where you feel your game is, especially coming off maybe not a season that you would have preferred?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, it's been awesome. I just had a kid. He was born on the 29th of August, little man. His name is Victor. That's my middle name. No, I didn't name him after Viktor Hovland. I was Victor way before Viktor was born.
It's been awesome. I feel very lucky to have my wife. She's at home with him right now. I miss him a bunch. I had to sort of rip the Band-Aid when I was leaving the house, just kiss him on the forehead and walk out before I started staring at him. It's been cool to sort of learn what it's like to be a dad, and I look forward to everything that comes with that.
Golf-wise, obviously didn't do a whole lot of golf for a bit, having him and trying to be a good teammate to my wife, because that's kind of all us guys can do early on. I feel like after these two days, surprisingly playing kind of nice. I know, I surprised myself when I came out.
It was funny to get some texts from captain and a lot of assistant caps like hey, how you doing? Because I wasn't able to make Napa. But it was good to prepare at home on what was limited sleep but sort of a much clearer head than in season.
Q. When did you start kind of trying to ramp up again playing golf?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: A couple weeks, two weeks before. I took about three weeks off after the BMW and had him on the 29th. Yeah, it was nice to not think about golf at all and rest up and try and help Maya and take care of little man.
Q. You were talking a lot about the rookies and the first-timers and how you're not worried and how you still get nervous on the first tee. What do you remember back in 2021, those emotions? Was there a moment where you realized how surreal it was playing in this event?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, again, sharing the room, having the locker room, having teammates, having guys to lean on, having guys to pick you up, that's all new.
Going out, having music blaring as loud as possible, fans stomping the bleachers, people chanting your name, that's also new. We don't get to practice that a whole lot.
It's definitely something I don't take for granted, that feeling you get on the first tee, the nerves, all that stuff.
Q. Regarding the Ryder Cup captain, how much of a difference can a captain make? Obviously you guys have to make the shots, but how much of a difference can Keegan make this week?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, I think every great team has a great leader. Everyone has their own sort of style. I think Keegan, he knows how fiery and passionate he can be, and he's surrounded himself with some calmer individuals at times. But I think as a whole, the captains and the vice captain group are so competitive. Most of them are still playing.
I think when you're removed from the game a little bit, you can sort of talk about what you have done versus kind of what you're doing. And Keegan, just like all the rookies, Keegan is another one of those guys that's been whooping up on me all year.
It's weird that he's kind of not playing, in a sense, just because he's been playing so well. But I think anyone that's sort of fresh with the sticks at an event like this, he kind of knows what us players need when we need it, whether it's a little bit of a break, more practice, less practice, food, fuel, recovery, all that stuff.
It's like second nature to him because that's what he's been doing every week when he's been competing.
Q. Unrelated, with regard to Bryson, you guys don't get to see him very often. How would you characterize him as a teammate and how explosive can he be for your group this week?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, I was telling Keegan when this whole thing was starting that I felt like he could be -- when you look at Ryder Cups and how they shake down, it's like -- it can kind of seem very different or distant at times when you win or lose one.
But I was telling Keegan, I feel like Bryson could be like the difference for us in a strange way from the standpoint of feeding into these fans, the style of golf he plays. And also how -- like you'll get me, I'll make a putt, and you won't see too much of a reaction. That's just who I am. That's kind of how I operate. Maybe it might change this week, who knows. These Ryder Cups bring out the best in you at times.
But Bryson is like, this is his arena. If he views himself as a gladiator golfer, this is as good as it gets. He's been awesome. He's been awesome in the team room. I'm excited to sort of see what he can do, and hopefully get a lot of points up on the board because his points might hit harder than maybe my points, for example, just because of how he might celebrate and get these fans into this tournament quickly.
Q. You mentioned the team elements of the wins and losses with this event, but I wondered for you personally what this week offers in terms of what you'll contextualize or look back on your 2025 season as a whole?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, there's definitely nice ways to end seasons, so yeah, if we're able to -- it's already been a fun start sharing the locker room with these guys and the caddies and the wives and Keegan has done a nice job of bringing everyone in as a big family. There's a lot of warm and fuzzy feelings on that front. But nothing as warm and fuzzy as winning one of these things.
Baby steps; our team knows it's a process and what we need to do to get it done. It would help me forget a lot about what happened in 2025.
Q. It's the first time where the U.S. Team have been paid to play. Keegan said yesterday he's giving the full lot to charity. I'm wondering, are you giving the full lot to charity as well?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, that's my plan. I think sort of being a product of the PGA TOUR, if there's one thing besides competing at a high level that's taught me, it's to sort of have a positive impact on the areas that you're in, and I don't see why this would be any different.
There's a lot of pride that comes into playing in one of these, and yes, we're happy to get paid for this, and yes, I plan on donating it. It's something that selfishly will make me feel good about what I do.
Q. Do you think the American fans care that you're being paid as a team?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I mean, you guys keep talking about it and trying to make it this negative thing. It's whatever everyone views it as. I don't think I'd be sitting up on this stage if I didn't have a positive attitude, and I try to look at this in the most positive of lights as possible: An opportunity to do some good, which isn't always the case.
Again, selfishly, if we're able to impact some of the local communities and charities here, I think that's what should happen. So yeah.
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