Xander Schauffele and team dinners are not a match made in heaven. And the 2020 Olympic gold medalist isn’t thrilled about that either: “I would be the first guy that I need to flee quickly.” In fact, when Keegan Bradley was newly instated as the US Ryder Cup captain, the first thought that Schauffele blurted out was to roll back from as many off-course obligations – or as how Schauffele likes to call it, “knickknacky stuff” – as possible.
These were Schaufelle’s words precisely from the press conference at the Genesis Scottish Open (July 9).
“I feel like Keegan would understand sort of when we need to get up… practice… and hopefully dodge anything you don’t have to do, and maybe that will help us.” When asked what exactly he meant to dodge the next time should he qualify for the team next year at Bethpage Black, he clarified, “Taking a bunch of photos all dressed up. I would be the first guy that I need to flee quickly… It just seems like it’s all these little – even like team dinners or things of that nature, we can have them sort of quick and inside versus having to go out, dress up and all those things.”
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Unfortunately enough, the plea fell on deaf ears back then and even now. And Keegan Bradley made sure that it was conveyed properly! The 2025 U.S. Ryder Cup captain was spotted in an interview on October 8, Tuesday, at Bethpage Black Course, and sure enough, a follow-up couldn’t have been avoided. It was a gathering as a part of the Captains News Conference ahead of the biennial competition that is scheduled to begin on Oct 22.
“What do you think, Julius [Mason]?” asked Bradley jokingly in response to the question…
… Only to hear the Senior Director of the PGA of America reply similarly,
“I think I’m glad I’m not a captain.”
Although he tried to dish out a funny reply initially, Keegan Bradley seemed resolute in his decision. “Listen, you come into a Ryder Cup and you know you have a lot of obligations,” said the 38-year-old before highlighting the need to do such events. “You’re going to have to do things that you wouldn’t normally do at a major week. That is part of the deal.
“Xander is a leader of the US team. He is a guy that everyone on the team looks up to, including their captain. He’s just an unbelievable person, and you know, a critical part of our team. I think when he says that he’s just trying to look out for his other teammates. He’s nothing but an amazing in the team room with the players. So, he’s going to be great. And if Julius [Mason] can take a few of the obligations off, we’ll do that. [laughing]”
He sure was quick to shoot down Xander Schauffele’s complaint. But it is understandable, to be honest, owing to the position Schauffele has in the American team. Just take his performance in the 2024 PGA Tour season into consideration (15 top 10s including 2 major wins). And that, interestingly so, was something that the 2025 Ryder Cup skipper made sure to let everyone know.
But was it a tad desperate of the US team captain to have teased the locker room scenes?
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Well, we can’t say for certain but remember the last Ryder Cup edition when the US team faced an embarrassing defeat in Rome? But it wasn’t just a strong European side but also several distractions, including ones that raised whether all the American players were even committed enough to be there.
A report made claims concerning the US team locker room and tagged it as “fractured.” Not only this but it seemed to have highlighted two names largely—Schauffele and teammate Patrick Cantlay. Later, many from the team, including then-captain Zach Johnson, went out and out to deny the credibility of such remarks. But then Xander’s father ended up adding more fuel to the fire.
“The PGA of America were not willing to even talk to us about [the three amendments],” he told The Times of London. “It was very late in the schedule right before the team came [to Rome] to practice because they had moved the deadline and they said, ‘If you don’t sign it by then, you’re off the team.’” But guess what these amendments were all about?
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All three amendments catered to the player participation and benefit agreement. However, Schauffele later said his dad’s words got “twisted” and “skewed.” Now that much time has passed, the last time Xander talked about the last edition back in July this year, he said, “Myself, I felt like I played awful.”
Regardless, as far as team dinners are concerned, these aren’t going anywhere, and it appears Xander Schauffele will just have to get used to it.
