Xander Schauffele’s major championship breakthrough at Valhalla was made all the sweeter by a classy message from 15-time major-winner Tiger Woods after edging out Bryson DeChambeau
There are many perks to winning a major championship. In Xander Schauffele’s case, a congratulatory message from Tiger Woods after winning the PGA Championship on Sunday must be among the best.
Schauffele finally got the major monkey off his back, putting the pain of numerous near misses to bed by leading wire to wire at Valhalla to edge out Bryson DeChambeau by one shot. The six-foot birdie putt that lipped in on the 72nd hole to clinch victory will doubtless be the defining moment in the 30-year-old’s career, finally harnessing his immense talent to take down a major title.
The Ryder Cup star has entered golf’s elite club and with his first one out of the way, he is odds-on to add to his major collection over the coming years. But his first triumph will surely be hard to beat, summed up by the message he received from 15-time major-winner Woods.
He texted me, you know, and I think he is right—he’s been through it all himself,” Schauffele told SubPar. “But he texted me something along the lines of, ‘You know, all those times you were close, I think that hardened you for this moment. And I’m proud of you. It’s incredible. I couldn’t be more proud of you.’ That was an awesome text I got from TW.”
Schauffele had the unwanted reputation of being golf’s nearly man after, with 11 top-10 finishes at the majors before Sunday’s win. He admitted it was hard to control himself as he stood over his winning put on the 72nd hole.
So much is racing through your head – ‘If you make this you win, if you make this you change your life, this is what you’ve wanted your whole life’. I was thinking so much —- while going through my routine and the longer I take, the more stuff I think.”
Schauffele says the winning feeling at Valhalla has only intensified his hunger to add to his account of big victories, and he is among the favourites to win the US Open and The Open Championship at Pinehurst No. 2 and Royal Troon later this summer.
I’m motivated more, not that I wasn’t motivated more,” Schauffele said of Sunday’s win. “This is like a drug and you just want to keep having the feeling. I’ve been fortunate. I think my favourite feeling in golf is to be in the hunt, regardless of the result.
That rush when you’re in contention coming down the stretch is why I play golf and why I love sport in general. I’ve had a lot of that feeling and the result of winning is awesome, but getting in the hunt at these big tournaments is something that’s awesome
