PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

May 18, 2025

Xander Schauffele

Quail Hollow Club

Quick Quotes

Q. How hard was it to get to red numbers this week?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I don't know, probably not that hard for some. For me, it was pretty hard.

Q. That last putt at the end, any satisfaction with that?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Not really coming in. After kind of a decent round going, the goal was to try to backdoor a top 10. I'm still in need of points. So that was my motivation today.

Yeah, after I got greedy on 15 -- or on 16, that one was on me. No mud on that ball unfortunately. Hit that in the water.

Then 17 is a pretty ridiculous setup today. That will be one to keep an eye on. You have one, I don't know, like a 10-foot window to land it to keep it somewhere like pin high.

Q. Coming in, obviously you had expectations leaving here. Do you feel like your game is getting to where you want it to be even though it wasn't exactly the result you're looking for?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, I'd like to keep it going. If we had four more days stacked up right now, I feel like I'd have a pretty good chance. Just kind of was in better form, and then I had a few things go awry in my swing and made my approach pretty bad. Just kind of lost control of the golf ball there midweek, unfortunately.

Yeah, just didn't have enough to score well, but I feel like I'm playing a lot better than what I'm doing. So just got to hang tough.

Q. What was it like coming in defending a major? You've defended before in other things.

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: It didn't feel very -- I don't know, it didn't feel like a defense. It's always at a different course. It seems to present a new challenge every time. I am sure The Open will be the same. It's just at a different course.

I think, if you win the Masters or -- that's about it.

Q. PLAYERS, whatever.

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, THE PLAYERS or any other tournament, you're going to go back to that same course, draw back on similar feelings, similar tee times, similar hotels, similar restaurants, all those things. It's a completely different thing this week.

Q. How do you come away from this week? Are you discouraged, or you feel more encouraged?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I'm encouraged, I am. Like I said, I'd love to go another 72 holes starting tomorrow. Played a lot better today. I shot 3-under and felt like I probably left three or four shots out there pretty easily. That's kind of how it goes.

Q. Would Scottie want to go another 72, or would he settle for this 18?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: The way he plays, I don't think he'd mind. I think we've set our games up to do 144-hole tournaments, just wear everyone out.

Q. You've been asked about Scottie before, but how he handles himself like nothing bothers him, how impressive is that to you?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, I played with him. He just does sort of what -- it's cliche. He does all those small things really well. I played with him, and he didn't hit it great. He finished strong, which he always does, gives himself some sort of momentum. He goes and practices after his rounds, does his thing with his team, and he rinses and repeats.

He's in a spot where it would be shocking if he didn't win today.