MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 8, 2024

Xander Schauffele

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Very pleased to introduce Xander Schauffele to the interview room. Xander, welcome back to the Masters.

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, it's great to be back. Always special to be on property. Just excited to be here.

THE MODERATOR: In the last five years, you've had three top 10 finishes, including a runner-up position. What is it about Augusta National that suits your game so well?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I don't know, just probably the fact that I just enjoy playing out here. I just have a lot of fun on property. It's a stressful week, but I think once the gun goes off on Thursday, you just kind of -- not wheel it, but, you know, everyone works -- I feel like I work extra hard in the beginning part of the year to try to get ready for this tournament, and I'm at home trying to hit shots that I normally wouldn't practice off severe slopes and things of that nature is.

So maybe it's just extra preparation, I'm not really sure, but you really have to be creative around the property, and I think I enjoy that challenge a lot.

THE MODERATOR: That's great. Questions?

Q. You've had so many top 10s since your last win, both in regular Tour events and in majors. I'm wondering, are you at a point in your career where if you don't win it's not really a good week? And on a personal level, how do you manage expectations so that it's not an unrealistic expectation of winning every time that you tee it up?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, that's a good question. Definitely something that I think about that rings around in my head a bit. I refer a tournament -- a steady drip caves a stone is something I grew up with, people tell me good playing, and they're not wrong, I feel like it's -- it was some solid golf that I've been playing. It's not a false statement. Obviously you just want it to be that much better.

But at the end of the day, I think that's also the reason why I keep having these performances where I am close, just because it's bothering me and it's something that I really want. And if I clip one, it's not going to be enough for me to be satisfied. So I think it's definitely what motivates me as a golfer and as a competitor just to keep pushing.

Q. There's been a few changes or transitions or additions, however you choose the word, in your golf, in your life, lately, no, with -- I don't know if you can take us through that, with your coaching, with your game, with going from one coach to the other. What are the positives? What are the setbacks?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, so I've implemented really don't have too many moving parts on my team. My dad will always be sort of my lifelong coach. He helps me in several capacities. So I just got off the range with Chris, and I was already telling my dad sort of what we're trying to do and things of that nature.

So it's not like he's -- I don't know what kind of transition you would call it, but it's been very nice working with Chris. He has a lot of insight, certain things that my dad even alluded to when I was a kid that he was never going to try to study or learn. He's like if we need to find help, we can find help. And fortunately enough Chris has been helping me out.

So that transition has been good. Started working with a new trainer as well about a year ago. That's been helpful. So I think that combo has been helpful for me to gain a little bit of distance and start moving the club in a way that I like moving it.

Q. Quick follow-up, not to get too philosophical, but is this kind of the condition of being a professional golfer, you have to be in transition all the time and at the same time and still competing?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: The trap is always -- the thing that's always made me scared of changing anything is just when you're close to the top, anything you do can just make you worse. So it's hard to make a change and really go with it and trust it. And you're so close to it, myself, it's so hard to be objective. I'm so subject to everything that I'm doing and looking at and my stats and everything of that nature. And my dad's been my lifelong swing coach, and we're trying to pick this whole situation apart.

So it's been, you know, with a scalpel, maybe, and Chris has been super understanding of that, and he's been trying to slow feed me, or even with a pacifier, some of the information just because I want it all, and at times that's not the best thing for me.

So the transition's been I would say relatively smooth. It's nice to have results on top of it. But just at the end of the day, it comes down to just me trusting my people and trusting that I'm making the right decision.

Q. When you are on property this week and you see the green jackets, do you ever envision you winning one, and do you ever wonder what it would be like to have one?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, I mean, I try to force the dream upon myself all the time. They talk about how right before you fall asleep whatever you're thinking of you're going to dream about it. So as many dreams, you know, as I can have wearing a Green Jacket or someone putting it on me on the 18th green, that's what I try and envision. So, my dad still hasn't played this property. He told me a long time ago I'm only going to play when you're a member. So that's definitely a goal of mine.

Q. What did you do today? Golf-wise. Sorry.

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Thank you for adding to that. Played nine holes. It was pretty pleasant. Actually went by myself. Played the back nine with Austin. I practiced with Chris a little bit. I putted with Derek, my putting coach, a little bit and saw my physio. Those are all golf-related things.

Q. I was talking about the course. Have you only played nine, or did you arrive yesterday?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Just the back nine.

Q. Wanted to ask you what you thought conditioning-wise, I know it's in nice shape, but firmness. And, secondly, when you have been here as many times as you have and you make your way around the course, when you get to various holes, are the memories of something you did good stronger than the memories of something you did bad?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Answering your first part, the course is very firm. I think it's in incredible shape. It's probably some of the best shape I've seen it in previous years, to be honest. I don't know how the weather has been, but it's a shame that it might rain at some point this week because it's looking like a really hard, really firm.

I mean, I was hitting 5-irons that were coming into par-5s that were bouncing, tomahawking over the green, and I was like this is pretty cool. It's been a while. And when this property plays that way, you have to be -- you're in full team mode with your caddie trying to figure out if you're middle of the fairway, you can be aggressive; but if you're not in the right place, you're playing to certain spots and trying to leave yourself uphill putt even if it's 12 feet versus a 4-footer that's downhill. So that part is to the course.

Then, for my shots, honestly, maybe I'm just lucky, but I feel that like I really don't remember many bad things. Austin, on the other hand, he'll remember shots that I messed up or like, oh, you 3-putted from here. And, of course, like once he brings it up, I will remember it.

But for the most part, I don't sit here -- I usually remember the good things, and I think that's I'm just maybe, I don't know -- my brain's wired that way. But I remember some up-and-down shots on the back nine, and I'm like, oh, I remember when I was coming down the stretch with Hideki, I actually hit a really good shot here. And then now that I'm thinking about it, I get to 16, I didn't even think that I wrenched it on 16. So I got up there and hit it to five feet and I'm like, Oh, yeah, it's a really nice day.

Q. Austin said, Have you seen your ball down there in the water?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, the one I tried to skip across the lake went in the water. That's all I can remember.

Q. So you didn't play the front nine, you have a chance to see the changes on No. 2 and 4 and 6?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Did not play the front nine.

Q. Can you talk about preparation. I think you are tied for second with most birdies here during probably the 2019, 25 birdies. Do you have a couple of strategies or a couple of key things when you approach your shots here into Augusta, especially the approach shots?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I think so many of our old legends of the game have talked about sort of the way you have to shape it off the turf. I feel like Augusta's always the -- that's kind of what I was alluding to earlier, where when I practice more shots coming into this week than not, you're trying to hit a hold 5-iron out of like a crazy right-to-left slope or, you know, that's kind of on 13 and on 14, to some of those pins you want to cut it to, but like to those left pins you actually have to draw it off a pretty severe left-to-right.

So if you're able to shape the shot you need, you can get it somewhat close to the pins. If it's really firm, then there's just going to be less birdies because Augusta National doesn't give up birdies when it's really firm and fast, pars are good scores.

So I think maybe a little bit of that, just shaping it the correct way, even if it doesn't feel comfortable at your feet.

Q. The greens here are so difficult and scary traditionally. And I just wonder, over the years, because the agronomy is a little better and they have gotten smoother and maybe players have gotten better at putting just from all the drills and knowledge you guys have now, are they slightly less scary as you come here year after year? Do you feel like people can handle 'em a little better as they come here more often, and it's not sort of the determining factor in who wins and loses as much?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I mean, maybe the scare factor goes away. I still think they're pretty scary, to be completely honest. Like, on 10, it was my first hole of the day, and I was pin high right in the right bunker to that middle left pin, and I hit a bunker shot that I thought was okay, and it rolled like 15 feet left of the hole. And then I hit like five bunker shots to that pin.

And it's scary to aim 25 feet right, having to hit the exact pace to have it roll down that slope as a putt to hit it to tap-in. We're not really used to that. So that part to me is still kind of scary.

But even watching coverage, there's so many small nuances I feel like to the property. Like the back of 14, that back left pin going over the green used to be good. I feel like they built up that back area so you actually kind of come up-and-down a little bit more to the hole than before. It used to be kind of a low point; now it just kinds of rolls off that mound.

There's so many small little things, even when I was watching some of the old Masters highlights at home, just -- I feel like 18, for some reason, I feel like that ball just rolls further off the green, that front part, than it used to. I was watching DiMarco get up-and-down, what, last week or so, against Tiger, and he did it twice, and then Tiger made that putt to win.

So I feel like there's just so many small parts of the course that they see, you know, they just keep looking over the coverage and they will just add a little hump to where your ball -- you're just trying to flick it on this green, and it hits straight on this down slope. So it makes it that much harder, and that's kind of the cool part about this place.

Q. If I could tell you that one part of your game you're going to have an excellent part, what part of your game would you choose for this course?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Probably approach to the green.

Q. Just curious, your philosophy on playing this course, does it tend more toward conservative, making pars, or do you play more aggressively and try and make birdies? Or does the conditions just dictate that?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I think you just honor sort of whatever position you're in. You honor the tough holes, the holes that deserve a par. And even if you're in a weird spot, you take your 5 and you run. Then you just try and thrash the holes that you can thrash.

That's sort of how I feel about the property. They have added some distance to some of these par-5s. I haven't seen the tee box on 2. But even something as simple as 17 fairway, the trees all, you know -- compared to coverage and certain things, like -- or, on 11, you can't even see the leaderboard, the trees are growing. Every year the trees grow. Like we can see like a smidge of the leaderboard. Then you get to 17, and all those trees start to like kind of cave in, even the one that overhangs on the tee. And 17 is a pretty underrated fairway you need to hit, and if you hit the left side of the fairway you're going to have to sweep a hook around those trees. And then you have to hole like 7, it's a driver, wedge.

You have to honor the hole. If you hit it in the rough or in the first cut, you're playing for a bunker. And you might have a nine-footer for par and, yes, it's right edge or uphill, but if you miss it, you take your 5 and you walk.

So, I feel like you just -- you have to be in certain spots on certain holes. And if you're not there, you have to just -- you have to grind.

Q. How did you play 15 today?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: 15, I hit driver, 5-iron. I had about 225. Wind was swirling as always. Feels like they have just have fans blowing in every direction on that corner of the course. Hit it about five feet from the hole, curl hopped, went straight over the green to a good spot.

Q. How far over the green? A lot?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: No. Fair. I don't know. Six feet. Seven feet.

Q. Good shot.

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Thanks, man.

Q. Are there LIV guys that you miss seeing, and has any part of you thought about trying to arrange a practice round with 'em, just because you don't see 'em very much?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Playing with Dustin tomorrow.

Q. So that would be a yes, and Dustin.

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I mean, yeah, I think I've made it pretty obvious that Dustin is probably the one I miss the most. I got along with almost all those guys that left. I don't know, didn't know everyone that plays on the TOUR now, but most of the guys that played out here I played a ton with.

It's sort of, it's like, this is my office. I love my job, but this is my office. And if someone leaves or quits or whatever, like, I just -- I still come to work, and I still try my best and do what I can do. So whether I see someone I like or not doesn't really affect my day that much.

Q. Did you arrange this with D.J. ahead of the week?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: No. It's Dustin. I saw him (laughing).

Q. Sorry.

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Pretty on the fly.

Q. Following on from the previous question about the scariness of the greens, the margin for error here seems to be very, very small. Can you talk a little bit about an example perhaps of lady luck playing its part where a shot can go to six feet and you have a good eagle chance or a little bit of bad luck and you can be facing a big number?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I can't think of -- I'm sure if I sat here long enough, I could come up with a ton of examples. I feel like it's sort of the really cool part about this place and I think what makes it very different than most courses is almost on every hole I feel -- or on several holes where have you wedges, for example, 15 is a good hole. You're hitting off a down slope. That hole asks of you to hit sort of a floaty wedge into it. If you're hitting it into that right pin, you either have to try to drive a wedge in low when it's firm, you can hit it in that bank, scary, obviously, because you'll be dropping another ball if you don't hit it low enough, or you try to float one up high.

It's pretty rare in our game where you have to -- you sit on a TrackMan or a Foresight or a machine, and you can hit 70 all day. Not all day, but most of us can hit it within three yards of the number, which is pretty good.

Out here that doesn't really cut it because not only do you have to hit that number, you have to hit the flight and the window. And I think the fact that we're hitting off down slopes or up slopes, it makes it much more tricky.

So I think there are certain nuances about how to drive -- even on chips too, when you're hitting these little bumps, you can hit the same spot, like you can put a quarter down and have your ball hit the same spot, but it doesn't have the exact ball speed on it won't get up the hill, but you still hit the quarter every time. So it's like you're hitting your spot but not with the right speed. That's something that you don't really think of a lot when you play other courses where you can hit a stock shot and the ball will roll to where it rolls.

I don't if that really answers your question, but that's sort of something that's really fun and difficult and really rewarding for us out here, is when you feel like you're hitting a lot of different shots throughout a course of a round versus other properties.

Q. How stressful is that?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Sorry?

Q. How stressful is that?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: It's cool. The whole creativity part, imagination part, it's really special. It's rare. I think that's why this property is really special. And it happens to be a major, but I think if it wasn't, for example, I think it would still be a world-beating tournament.

THE MODERATOR: Well, Xander, we certainly hope you find your ball flight and your distance all week long, and we wish you all the best, and thanks for your time today.

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Thank you very much.