THE PRESIDENTS CUP

September 23, 2026

Xander Schauffele

Medinah Country Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Does anyone have a real question?

Q. What's the course like with the redesign on the six holes compared to what you may remember here?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I honestly don't remember too much. I mean, I remember more trees. I kind of remember where the 17th hole was like across on the other side of the property there which is now 12 in a completely different direction.

I think the course is set up to be pretty fun. The greens are starting to pick up in pace and a little bit dryer weather coming through and the wind has been up.

So anticipating faster, slightly faster conditions and sort of what we practiced in I'd say as the week progresses.

Q. What's the chemistry like? I mean, everyone believes that you're the overwhelming favorite to win this thing again, but what's the whole chemistry like of the team composure, branch, leadership?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah. It's been fun. We have a couple of new rookies on the team. They don't feel like rookies. They're obviously sort of battle tested. Our youngest rookie has already won on Tour in his third start.

Nice to have those types of rookies playing versus I feel like when I was a rookie, I felt much greener, bluer, whatever the right term is. Our rookies feel like sneaky veterans. And they're fun. They're fun to play with. Good attitudes, and they seem to have no fear.

The chemistry has been a lot of fun. A lot of laughing in the locker room. So I feel like my job is just try and get everyone as comfortable as possible as quickly as possible.

Q. Knowing your personality as well as I do, how would you compare it to Koivun's personality? I saw an amusing picture where he was posing with all the spouses because he didn't bring a date and everything. What's it like interacting with him?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah. He's great. He's 21, you know. But he's been funny. Slowly opening up to us. He's second youngest guy to ever be on the team, which is pretty special.

Like I said, my goal is just try to get him to laugh, try and get him to open up, and then just get comfortable knowing that we all have his back and knowing that he'll have ours, too.

Q. Good luck, man. Do you have any sympathy at all for Adam Scott knowing that he's played in all these and never won? Like ten, I think, ten or eleven.

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I think this is his twelfth.

Q. Twelfth: I know that's tough.

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I mean, I really like Adam Scott. No secret there. He doesn't want anyone's -- he doesn't want anyone's feelings on it. He's a competitor and he wants to get it done. He'll tell you that all he needs is one to make it feel really sweet, probably something along the lines of what he'd say.

So I love competing with him. We share the same physio week to week on a normal Tour schedule. So it's been nice to get to know him a little bit better. He's definitely inspiring to me. Aside from Presidents Cup. Just being that competitive at his age, at this time where golf is is really, really impressive. So nothing but respect for Adam.

Q. Given that you've looked at their teams over the years, obviously doesn't seem like there is that much difference between them and Europe, especially at the top end. And yet there's been this incredible just imbalance with the Ryder Cup and the Presidents Cup. Is there anything you put your finger on that you see?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: It's just competition. I mean, who knows how many more Cups there will be on either side, and you just -- any stats guy would tell you with how many there have been there's really a small sample size still.

So we're just trying to take all the momentum from previous cups and that belief and try to carry it and hope luck is on our side, you know. They're quick weeks and there are not many matches, and you do need things to go your way.

So there's been times where I've played really well and I've lost. I think last year Pat and I were playing alternate ball and we got absolutely crushed by I think Sungjae and Hideki maybe.

They were 8-under through 11 or something, alternates. So stuff like that happens and you just gotta sort of roll with the punches and hope your teammates are doing better than you.

Q. I wanted to ask you about the evolution of you and Patrick as a team. So first one is Presidents Cup. Did you go to the captain then and say we really want to play together? Was that the start of it?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: We were familiar with each other, but Freddy Couples is actually the one who kind of made that happen, to be honest.

Freddy is like, hey, I think these two guys would be unbelievable together. That's what he said. The way they play, they almost turn into one person when they're playing alternate shot, which is all you can sort of ask for. And then just the way we interact.

Holding each other accountable, but knowing that each of us are trying our absolute hardest on every shot. Just having each other's back. Freddy sort of orchestrated that, and he was right.

Q. Have you guys kind of joked about that through the years with him, with Freddy, about him being the genius?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah. A little bit. I don't know if anyone has ever really stated that. Yeah, PC and I both love Fred.

Q. The nature of match play, you guys have been really good in foursomes, but not as good in four ball. How do you explain that, Xander? And we just did a thing on the tropes of match play, and one of them is that you should always put guys together who are friends or whatever, but the two different styles of play are so different. Can you explain why you guys have been so much better in foursomes rather than four ball?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Pat and I?

Q. Yeah.

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I mean, again, really small samples. You know, I think we've shot 59 at Zurich in best ball. Pretty good, you know.

So we've done it. We just have gotten beat in four ball and haven't produced the greatest scores. We've shot 59, and we've shot four under before, best ball as well. So it's like, you know, how many times have we played that format together, you know. Eight-ish times now, ish, maybe or sorry, less than that.

Q. Yeah. Less than that?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Four ball less than that. So if we played 100 four ball rounds which we're not going to live to see, who knows what our record would be. But there's probably better matchups as the stats guys would say. Even though we're friends, there's better matchless ups to sort of complement the holes that we have in our games.

Q. That's how it's evolved partly. We're not seeing you guys as much in four ball. Has that also been a conscious kind of discussion on your part and the captains' parts?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: No. It's more of just, you know, I think every single player on our team, they ask us sort of what we want, and we just want to win, whatever that looks like.

So you tell us what that looks like and then for the most part, I mean, actually there's no for the most part. Incompetent every part, everyone is cool with it. Everyone on this team is very comfortable with each other, even through such a short time of knowing each other for some of the guys that anyone is willing to do whatever it takes to win.

Q. In Montreal as you point out you guys get smoked the first foursomes and then you have this great match that Saturday match. I know it was one of my favorite to ever watch. How great was that match when you look back on it, the win, how you did it? Just talk about that.

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah. For sure. I always tell PC if it's getting dark at home and we're going to finish somewhere close to dark, the match is off. You know what I mean? I don't like playing Pat when it gets kind of dark. He has a knack for making these putts in the dark in these team events.

No, it was great. Sort of the spark that you need in a quick week like this to sort of get your team back on the board.

Q. We've talked to enough of your teammates. Everyone says that you are the trash talker on the team, that you are the one giving people a hard time. Why do they keep saying that you're the guy?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I have no idea what they're talking about. Honestly, it's crazy talk. Not going to call anyone a liar here, but a bit of a reach.

Q. Were you class clown at all like growing up or is this the natural evolution of how you were younger?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: You know, people always -- I think the guys out here always used to say that I was pretty quiet. I was pretty quiet coming out. I felt like I had to earn my stripes.

So in order for me to run my mouth I feel like I need to earn that right through playing better. Not that I've played great recently, but good enough to throw a couple jabs.

Q. Is there a pecking order of like can you talk trash to Scottie?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I mean, I try.

Q. You try?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah. He just doesn't give me as many layups as other guys.

Q. Gotterup has gotten closer to you. A lot of practice rounds with you, three. To an outsider that feels like purposeful, like almost as if Xander and Pat are taking him under their wing. Is that accurate or is that more you guys became friends outside of the team setting?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I mean, he won three times this year. So I'm just trying to pick his brain on what he's been doing. He moved to Florida not too long ago. There's a lot of guys you can play with in Florida. Just kind of naturally happened that, you know, I think PC and him are on the same TGL team.

So there's some familiarity there. And he's a great kid and he's got a ton of game, and it's fun to play with him. He moves the ball a lot and he's got crazy good short game and has that sort of pretty laid-back attitude on the course.

So super easy to play with at home and super fun to compete against.

Q. He self-described himself as the punching bag in the group chats.

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: CG said that?

Q. Yeah.

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: That's tough.

Q. Do you agree with it?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah. Yeah. I mean, recently. Earlier on in the group chat. It was a little -- some things didn't be go his way. (Laughter). So maybe he feels that way.

Q. He did mention that some photo of him on vacation was shared.

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah. Samantha -- maybe Bridgeman. Bridgeman and him are boys and I think Bridgeman may have leaked it in there. With AI now things got out of hand.

Q. So you are 17 and 9 in Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup matches and you won an Olympic gold. What is it about putting on the red, white, and blue that makes you seemingly play your best?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I mean, pride, you know. I'd say pride for the most part, and just, you know, there's something about these team events that Olympics is individual, but I still sort of traveled in practice rounds with my American teammates all week.

Something about these team environments that I personally really enjoy. I think it's more fun. It's more for giving at times, and you really get to know -- you get to know some guys that you work and play against all the time just a little bit better.

All the older guys, all the older captains and everyone always say that these are the most sort of sacred years they had on Tour and some of them feel like they took it for granted. It could be your last event you've ever played.

So I feel like I just have a little bit more fun these weeks hanging with the guys, laughing with the guys, picking on the guys, getting picked on, just like you would in a normal locker room, something that we don't really get to experience much in golf.

So pride and fun I'd say are the two things.

Q. Speaking of the Olympic gold, you say you gave it to your dad. Does he still have it?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: My parents have it.

Q. President Trump is expected to attend this week. What would that mean this week and for you personally playing in front of the president of the United States?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah. He made a guest appearance at Bethpage as well. I'm sure Secret Service wasn't pumped that he made an early announcement on where he's going to be, (laughter). But they'll do a nice job to keep him safe.

But, yeah, it's awesome that our president loves golf and supports USA.

Q. How important do you think sporting events are, like international sporting events? Both Patrick and Sam have talked about bringing the country together. We can disagree all we want but at the end of the day we're still rooting for USA in these events. What does that mean?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah. It's nice for sports to bring people together. I think ultimately that's what it did originally, and even where teams -- there's a lot of rivalries out there. But if players and people can kind of gather under one flag in a sport, it is pretty awesome, and luckily we're able to do that in golf.

Q. If I recall in Montreal you and Brandt were kind of the ones betting against each other. Are you still doing that as the captain, when he's captain?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Not as much.

Q. Fair.

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Not as much. Brandt's got more on his plate than he did then. Brandt was sort of our pod caretaker. So he is everywhere and anywhere that he needs to be this week for everybody.

Q. But like during that like how would you describe kind of like when he was your pod caretaker, like what that dynamic was or kind of what his style was in that setting?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah. Brandt is honestly right up my alley. Respect him a ton for just how he competed when he played. He won this year but when he was in his prime, I should say. Just a scrappy dude, you know what I mean. Just never looked like -- never hit it really far, never hit it super straight, honestly. But, man, would he chip and putt the lights out of it and when he got warm with the driver and irons, it was special.

I like that sort of play-to-the-whistle mentality that he kind of carried on his shoulder throughout his entire career, and it's something I try and do all the time.

Q. And as a bit of a needler at times with someone like Jackson are trying to bring him out more this week?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: No. I'm more of a take it or leave it. I'll throw stuff against the wall and see what it looks like. If people don't want to participate in what I would call fun, which is not that fun for everyone, they don't have to.

Q. What's the style been overall this week?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Stoic, professional. He's definitely had a couple jabs and couple funny moments, for sure. He's 21, and he's already done way more than I feel like I ever did when I was 21. So we all have a ton of respect for him.

Q. Your name keeps coming up as the biggest trash talker. Who's the best at giving it back?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I mean, a bunch of the guys are. I would call myself low-hanging fruit. You can pick on me. I think people just get annoyed of me. They just don't even want to talk back to me because if they engage me, I'm even further. So I kind of get the wave off half the time. As long as I think it's funny, I'm cool with it. But yeah, to answer your question, Scheffler.

Scheffler, I mean he does have like a bazooka on his shoulder. He can shoot whatever he wants. He's got a lot of ammo.

Yeah, I definitely try and make sure I got my A game when I'm picking on him.

Q. (No Microphone.)

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: He is more reactive, unless it's Gary Woodland. He'll go at Gary, which is fun to watch. But, yeah, Scottie is awesome. He's mister let your clubs talk and he's got some bite when you go at him. So like I said, you better come prepared.

Q. You're obviously a mainstay on these teams playing on the last however many in a row but you were mentioning Jackson it's his first one. Do you remember your first team competition and how you felt around these guys that you've grown up watching for a while that you almost have to tiptoe your way around?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, my first one, 2019; Royal Melbourne was my first one. Tiger Woods was our captain. Bunch of legends on the team. Played alongside Gary. Scottie may have still been in college. Jackson wasn't born. (Laughter).

So yeah, I feel pretty old. But I was nervous, going over international, Tiger is the captain. You feel like you had idolized him growing up and the last thing you want to do is let him down.

I remember being extremely nervous. I'll still be nervous come tomorrow on the first tee. That's why we like doing this whole dance here.

But yeah, nervy and just wanting to do similar in the sense of wanting to do anything to win these things.

Q. Is there anything you've learned from these events that you've been able to take to your individual game the rest of the year?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: A little bit. I think when you play well in these, you realize, often we don't play with a partner, when you're playing solo out there. And sometimes when you can kind of get in a good flow, you find a little bit of freedom, a little bit of freedom in your swing, a little bit of freedom in how you play the game.

And it helps when you have a partner. You make a bad swing, your partner picks you right back up. Or if you're both out of position and you scramble to make that tough par, you know, that gives you confidence.

So I feel like I've definitely tried to take some of that not relax but a little bit of that freedom that you can kind of get when you have a partner and try and have it translate to when you're solo.

Q. (No microphone.)

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Both. Yeah, I'd say we're -- I mean, PC, Kize (phonetic) and I and LaCava by now, yeah, we'll have a conversation about it. But it's almost like we don't even need -- I already know. I know what he likes and what he doesn't like and vice versa. So it's pretty easy between PC and I.

Q. (No microphone.)

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Oh. Would that be me? Yeah. He did. He told me he would, too. Before he teed off. He's like, just telling me -- we didn't know each other that well then. He's just telling you I'm going to walk ahead just because I'm tired right now I'm like I'm tired, too, man. He goes doesn't mean I'm not right there with you. And I was like, thanks. That's how we kind of handled that afternoon there.

But, yeah, alternate has got a weird flow to it compared to four-ball. So anything you can kind of do to, I guess, get more comfortable or, you know, hit your tee ball you can kind of walk with your partner, talk to him. And even for yourself if you're not the one teeing off you can kind of walk into your next shot versus kind of like feel like you're rushing into it almost.

Q. What do you appreciate about Adam Scott's swing?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: About his swing? I mean, it's timeless. Yeah. Timeless and hasn't really changed. I'd say his fundamentals have stayed the same for 20-plus years and it's definitely stood the test of time.

Q. Does that making his swing coach the easiest job in golf?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I don't think being his swing coach is easy at all. I think it's a really tough job, especially with how sensitive we can be at times, and particular we can be at times.

Q. Who's your equal in the jab department?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Oh, all the guys. All the guys throw jabs.

Q. Oh, come on.

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I just try to -- what are they trying to warm the crowd up a little bit. That's like my job. I'm like the opening act. I'm not very good. I just try to warm the crowd up a little bit.

Q. JT, starting when the first time he played in one of the team events was a guy who would go out and see a golf course beforehand, Paris at 18, was the only guy that played in the French open, that kind of thing. Is he usually like the best prepared of all you guys? Like he seems like he's -- or the most in tune to it.

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Like in these team events?

Q. Yeah.

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: It would be -- I mean, it's hard to say. Everyone prepares differently. Everyone gets comfortable in their own way. I'd say he just -- he just -- he hates losing more than others.

Q. There you go.

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: You know, it gets him. And because of that, you see that fire. I hate it, too. I try my absolute hardest, but JT, he gets up. He gets up in big moments. And even if he doesn't have his best stuff, he convinces himself in the morning that he's going to win that match, and he's done it time and time again. That's why he's here.

Q. Xander, at a team event in front of larger galleries, how nerve-wracking is it to have out of bounds on one, two, and three on the left side?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Yeah, the first thing when I came out here for a practice round I asked the captains, is that OB. It's a big old fence that just runs all the way to the hole. On the second hole, it's on the green almost. It's something all players notice.

But a fence or white stakes or whatever you want to call it, you know what I mean. I feel like we've seen it all. So at least with a fence if you're going towards it, maybe it'll bounce off of it, versus the white stakes got no chance. Trying to find something positive.

Q. Would you like to see an international women's team? I'll show you the roster of what that would look like.

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Oh, I got you. Yeah. That's a stacked team. Yeah. I mean, honestly, yeah, anything to grow the game of golf, you know what I mean. I think it would be a no-brainer. I think sponsors would get behind it, and I'm sure there's more logistics to an event than me just saying, you know, sure.

But I think it would be pretty cool to have it on both the men's and women's.