AUGUSTA — Even an injury that robbed him of the first two months of his 2025 PGA Tour season isn’t enough to douse the interest in Xander Schauffele’s quest to win his first Masters.
Schauffele entered the season with high expectations after winning the PGA Championship and Open Championship in 2025, only to have a rib injury put him on the shelf for nearly two months. Having played in only three events since January, he remains one of the betting favorites this week at Augusta National.
“I haven’t been in great form, but the only thing that really matters is that I think I can win and my team thinks I can win and everyone else can just talk about whatever they talk about,” he said.
The amiable Schauffele — who shot a final-round 66 and tied for 12th at the Valspar Championship in his most recent start three weeks ago — said he is healthy again and believes he can contend this week. He has drawn additional motivation during his absence by watching the likes of Rory McIlroy, who has won twice in 2025, and two-time Masters champion Scottie Scheffler.
“There are so many guys that have played at a really high level, and luckily I’ve learned that I can play at that level,” Schauffele said. “Rory has been playing unbelievably well and kind of breezing through what looks like hard golf courses. That’s sort of what happens. Luckily I was able to do that last year and there’s no reason I can’t do it again.”
The only difference this spring, he said, is the lack of reps.
“I know what I’m capable of when I’m feeling good, when I’m not thinking about anything but getting the ball in the hole,” Schauffele said. “It’s been a process to get back to that. I don’t have a ton of reps doing it, but there’s a lot for me to draw back on, sort of previous accomplishments to let that confidence grow.”
Schauffele has played in seven Masters and has four top-10 finishes. He tied for second in 2019, finishing one shot behind Tiger Woods, and tied for third in 2021, when his chances died after hitting one in the water on the 16th hole the final day.
The perception of Schauffele has changed over the last year. He always was thought of as a consistent player who performed well in big events — 12 top 10s in majors, the 2017 Tour Championship as a rookie, the 2020 Olympic gold medal — before breaking through at the 2024 PGA Championship. Now, with two majors under his belt, he’s at the halfway point of the career grand slam.
“Believe it or not, it was always a thought before I won any of them,” he said. “It’s a lot cooler to be a lot closer to that dream of mine at (age) 31 versus 35 or 35 and not having won one.”
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